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THE  AMERICAN  SOCIETY  OF 
MECHANICAL  ENGINEERS 

29  WEST  THIRTY-NINTH  STREET,  NEW  YORK 


THE  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF 
LATIN  AMERICA 


FREDERICK  Ai  HALSEY 

Mem.Am.Soc.M.E. 


To  be  presented  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  The  American  Society  of  Mechanical 
Engineers,  29  West  39th  Street,  New  York,  December  3 to  6,  1918. 


Society  as  a body  is  not  responsible  for  the  statements  of  facts  or  opinions  advanced  in  papers  or 

discussions  (C  55). 


PREAMBLE 


To  show  the  necessity  of  the  investigation  of  which  the  following 
report  is  an  analysis  and  forms  the  subject  matter,  the  following 
extracts  are  made  from  writings  of  men  of  more  or  less  prominence  in 
scientific  circles.  These  extracts  show  how  easily  such  men  may  be 
mistaken  and  prove  what  all  know  but  what  is  so  often  forgotten 
that  it  is  dangerous  to  generalize  when  the  facts  are  not  known. 

“This  system  is  in  force  in  all  parts  of  Europe  and  America  except  England 
and  our  own  country.”  — Dr.  George  F.  Kunz,  Pres.  American  Metric  Associa- 
tion. 

“Scarcely  a vestige  of  the  old  standards  is  left  in  any  country  that  has  adopted 
the  metric  system.”  — Dr.  Wm.  C.  Wells,  Chief  Statistician,  The  Pan  American 
Union. 

“The  theory  that  old  units  will  always  live  is  repudiated  by  experience  in 
some  thirty-odd  countries  which  have  successfully  adopted  the  metric  system  of 
weights  and  measures.”  — Mr.  Howard  Richards,  Secretary  American  Metric 
Association. 

“In  less  than  a year  one  would  have  forgotten  that  there  ever  was  any  other 
system.”  — Dr.  Adolph  W.  Miller. 

“Practically  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  have  adopted  the  French  decimal 
system.  Only  two  stubborn  ones  hold  out  against  it  — England  and  the  United 
States.”  — Dr.  Harvey  W.  Wiley. 

“It  is  practically  universal  throughout  Central  and  South  America.”  — Mr. 
Everett  Morss. 

“It  is  the  system  used  in  everyday  life  by  the  civilized  peoples  all  over  the 
world,  except  in  America,  Great  Britain,  and  her  colonies.”  — Dr.  A.  E.  Ken- 
nelly,  Prof.  Electrical  Engineering,  Harvard  University. 

“Practically  all  of  the  civilized  nations  of  the  world  have  already  adopted  it 
with  the  exception  of  the  English  speaking  peoples.”  — Dr.  Alexander  Graham 
Bell. 

“It  is  the  sole  system  in  all  Latin- America.”  — Mr.  Judson  C.  Welliver. 

“In  Central  and  South  America  the  metric  system  is  practically  universal.” 
— Collier’s  Weekly. 

“To  adopt  the  metric  system  would  not  be  harder  for  the  United  States  than 
to  adopt  the  daylight  saving  plan.”  — Mr.  Arthur  Brisbane,  Editor  the  Hearst 
papers. 

“The  meter,  liter  and  gram  continue  to  prove  most  satisfactory  in  official  and 
general  use  in  the  Phillipine  Islands,  Porto  Rico  [which  see  below]  and  other 
United  States  possessions.”  — Mr.  Fred  R.  Drake,  Chairman  Executive  Com- 
mittee American  Metric  Association. 


l-l  1 loW 


4- 

«J  THE  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN 

AMERICA 

By  Frederick  A.  Halsey,  New  York 
Member  of  the  Society 

11 1 have  found  in  the  course  of  my  life 
that  the  particular  thing  that  you  have  to 
surrender  to  is  the  facts.” 

— President  Wilson. 


'X'HE  inquiry  of  which  this  paper  is  a report  was  conducted  through 
a questionnaire  of  which  about  500  copies  were  distributed 
throughout  South  and  Central  America  and  the  West  Indies.1  In 
^ order  to  secure  representative  and  impartial  distribution,  outside 
agencies  were  enlisted  in  the  work,  the  printed  blanks  being  sent  to 
their  branches  and  correspondents  by  the  National  City  Bank,  the 
United  Fruit  Company,  W.  R.  Grace  and  Company,  and  the  Hill 
. Publishing  Company.  Additional  copies  were  sent  out  by  the  author 
to  names  taken  from  a commercial  list  obtained  from  the  United 
Fruit  Company  and  to  United  States  consuls. 

2 The  questionnaire  as  drawn  up  in  English  will  be  found  in 
Appendix  2,  together  with  the  form  letter  which  accompanied  it. 
- The  actual  printed  forms  sent  out  were  translated  into  Spanish  and 
^Portuguese,  in  which  languages  most  of  the  replies  came  back.  The 
information  given  herein  is  not,  however,  limited  to  that  obtained 
through  the  questionnaires  as  various  citations  in  the  text  point  out. 
In  all  cases  quotations  without  names  attached  are  from  the  ques- 
tionnaires. 


J 


SPANISH  AND  PORTUGUESE  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES 

3 As  many  readers  are  not  acquainted  with  Spanish  weights 
and  measures,  tables  of  the  more  common  units  and  their  relations 


1 This  paper  embodies  the  results  of  an  investigation  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  the  American  Institute  of  Weights  and  Measures  of  which  the  author 
•is  the  Commissioner. 


J 


For  presentation  at  the  Annual  Meeting,  December  1918,  of  The  American 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  29  West  39th  Street,  New  York.  All 
papers  are  subject  to  revision. 

3 


4 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


are  here  given.  The  translation  of  the  Spanish  names  is  almost  self- 
apparent,  but  the  following  are  given: 


Onza 

Ounce 

Pulgada 

Inch 

Libra 

Pound 

Pie 

Foot 

Tonelada 

Ton 

Vara 

Yard 

Cuartillo 

Quart 

4 The  Portuguese  names  are  so  similar  that  their  meanings  will 
be  apparent. 

SPANISH  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES 
Weight 

16  onzas  = 1 libra 
25  libras  = 1 arroba 
4 arrobas  = 1 quintal 
20  quintales  = 1 tonelada 

Dry  Measure 
4 cuartillos  = 1 celemin 
12  celemins  = 1 fanega 
12  fanegas  = 1 cahiz 

Liquid  Measure 
4 cuartillos  = 1 azumbre 
8 azumbres  = 1 cantara 
16  cantaras  = 1 moyo 

Length 

12  pulgadas  = 1 pie 
3 pies  = 1 vara 

UNIFICATION  OF  ENGLISH  AND  SPANISH  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES 

5 With  slight  differences  in  the  values  of  the  units,  this  system 
is  substantially  identical  with  our  own.  With  suitable  foresight  and 
effort  the  two  might  have  been  unified  long  ago. 

6 The  chief  difficulty  in  the  adoption  of  the  metric  system  in 
Latin  America  has  been  and  is  the  psychological  difficulty  — that  is, 
learning  to  think  or  vizualize  values  in  strange  units.  In  this  sense 
the  difficulty  of  adopting  the  English  values  of  the  units  would  have 
been  nil  for  there  would  have  been  too  little  change  in  values  to  cause 
confusion  of  thought,  while  in  names  there  would  have  been  none. 

7 Meanwhile  the  still  greater  difficulty  in  our  own  case  — the 
physical  difficulty  due  to  the  anchorage  of  units  in  standardized 
manufacture  — was  and  is  absent  in  Latin  America  where  but  little 
manufacturing  is  done.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  adopting  the 
English  values  of  the  units  thus  were  and  are  trifling  in  comparison 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


5 


with  those  in  the  way  of  adopting  the  metric  units.  Moreover,  the 
process  would  have  been  one  of  subtraction,  two  sets  of  values  being 
reduced  to  one,  and,  internationally  considered,  several  sets  of  values 
reduced  to  one,  for  the  Spanish  units  have  slight  and  annoying  differ- 
ences of  value  in  different  countries.  The  “ adoption”  of  the  metric 
system,  on  the  other  hand,*has  been  one  of  addition,  another  set  of 
units  being  added  to  those  already  existing. 

8 The  ease  with  which  the  English  values  of  the  units  might 
have  been  adopted  is  shown  by  these  reports  of  the  progress  they 
have  made.  With  no  trace  of  compulsion  or  even  governmental 
recognition,  they  have  come  into  large  use  by  the  operation  of  the 
forces  of  trade  and  commerce  and  by  simple  acceptance,  whereas  the 
metric  units  have  nowhere  made  progress  except  by  compulsion. 

9 The  remaining  question  is : Is  it  too  late  ? Except  for  units 
for  land  measure,  which,  once  established,  should  be  let  alone,  I 
think  not,  for  conditions  have  not  materially  changed  in  Latin 
America.  It  must  be  apparent  there,  as  this  inquiry  makes  it  here, 
that  the  attempt  to  adopt  the  metric  system  is  a failure.  The 
weights  and  measures  of  Latin  America  are  in  a state  of  chaos,  for 
which  a remedy  is  sorely  needed.  Were  they  to  dismiss  the  intruder 
and  retain  the  old  historic  names  with  changes  in  values  which  are 
so  slight  as  to  be  inappreciable  for  most  purposes,  Pan-Americanism 
in  this  important  field  would  become  an  accomplished  fact,  and  the 
unification  of  the  weights  and  measures  of  North  and  South  America 
with  those  of  the  British  Empire  would  be  within  sight. 

10  It  is  especially  to  be  noted  that  until  about  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century  there  were  few,  if  any,  compulsory  metric  laws 
in  Spanish  America.  The  system  had  been  “ adopted”  in  many  of 
those  countries  as  the  official  system,  and  used  chiefly  for  customs 
purposes  and  railway  tariffs,  but  the  people  continued  to  use  the  old 
measures  without  molestation.  The  change  in  the  intervening  years 
is  due  to  German  influence  and  for  German  purposes.  If,  as  seems 
probable,  German  influence  in  Spanish  America  is  to  suffer  an  eclipse, 
is  it  too  much  to  hope  that  the  future  may  see  the  unification  of  the 
weights  and  measures  of  North  and  South  America  and  the  British 
Empire  on  the  foundation  of  the  system  which,  in  its  basic  and  his- 
toric features,  is  common  to  all? 

11  Meanwhile  we  have  an  important  lesson  to  learn  from  Latin 
America.  A glance  through  these  reports  will  reveal  the  common 
practice  of  selling  grain  and  other  farm  products  at  wholesale  by 
weight,  the  arroba  and  the  quintal  being  favorite  units. 


6 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


12  Our  clumsy  efforts  to  connect  the  bushel  and  pound  through 
conversion  factors  are  the  cause  of  much  confusion1  which  would 
disappear  were  we  to  copy  this  practice,  and,  incidentally,  deprive 
the  metricites  of  a false  argument  which  is  on  all  their  lips,  and  which 
the  unthinking  know  no  better  than  to  accept.  The  unit  for  this 
purpose  should  be  the  quintal  of  100  lb.  — a name  which  is  pref- 
erable to  hundredweight  as  it  avoids  confusion  with  the  British 
hundredweight  of  112  lb. 

GENERAL  ANALYSIS  OF  RESULTS 

13  The  effort  to  learn  the  relative  usage  of  the  different  systems 
has  not  been  successful.  When  one  return  gives  exclusive  use  of  the 
metric  system  for  a given  purpose  and  another  exclusive  use  of  the 
Spanish  system  for  the  same  purpose,  discrimination  is  impossible. 
The  thing  here  proven  is  that  the  claim  that  Latin  America  is  metric 
is  false,  as  are  all  arguments  based  upon  it.  In  particular,  it  should 
be  noted  that  the  order  in  which  the  units  are  herein  named  has  no 
significance. 

14  In  but  one  of  the  countries  investigated  (Uruguay,  which  see 
below)  can  the  metric  system  be  said  to  be  adopted  for  domestic 
trade,  while  there  we  find  an  authorized  official  exception  in  the  case 
of  real  estate,  as  we  find  other  exceptions  in  the  cases  of  wearing 
apparel,  industry  and  navigation.  Nevertheless,  in  twelve  of  these 
twenty  countries,  according  to  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Stand- 
ards, the  metric  system  is  “ obligatory.”  2 

15  In  ten  of  these  countries  (apart  from  the  railroads  and  other 
fields  under  immediate  government  control)  the  metric  system  has 
made  very  little  impression.  (Nicaragua,  Guatemala,  Spanish 
Honduras,  Cuba,  Panama,  Colombia,  Porto  Rico,3  San  Salvador, 
Ecuador,  and  Costa  Rica,  which  see  below.) 

1 It  should  be  noted  that  the  adoption  of  the  metric  system  would  not  do  away 
with  this  confusion  since  wheat,  corn,  rye,  etc.  do  not  weigh  the  same  per  deca- 
liter any  more  than  they  do  per  bushel.  The  sale  of  these  and  similar  commodi- 
ties by  weight  is  the  simple  and  sufficient  method  of  abolishing  all  the  confusion 
now  experienced  in  this  branch  of  trade. 

2 See  The  Metric  System  in  Export  Trade  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of 
Standards,  page  17;  Senate  Document  No.  241,  Government  Printing  Office, 
1916. 

3 Porto  Rico  is  always  claimed  by  the  metricites  to  be  metric.  Thus,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Fred  R.  Drake,  Chairman  Executive  Committee,  American 
Metric  Association,  “The  meter,  liter  and  gram  continue  to  prove  most  satis- 
factory in  official  and  general  use  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  Porto  Rico  and  other 
United  States  possessions.” 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


7 


16  Of  these  ten  countries,  according  to  the  above  report, 
the  metric  system  is  “obligatory ” in  seven.  In  five  of  them 
(Cuba,  Colombia,  Porto  Rico,  Panama,  and  Spanish  Honduras, 
which  see  below)  the  English  units  are  used  far  more  than  the 
metric,  having  largely  supplanted  all  others,  although  in  three  of 
them,  according  to  the  report  mentioned,  the  metric  system  is 
“obligatory.”  Not  only  has  the  English  pound  come  into 
large  use,  but  the  arroba  and  quintal  have  been  adjusted  in  value 
to  make  them  equal  to  25  and  100  English  pounds,  respectively. 
In  substantially  all  of  the  countries  investigated  the  English  inch 
is  used  for  mechanical  purposes,  as  the  English  nautical  units  are 
used  for  navigation  and  sea  shipments.  That  most  derided  of 
English  units  — the  nautical  mile  — is  used  by  all  countries  that  sail 
the  seas  and  they  use  no  other.  The  kilometer  is  an  unknown 
measure  at  sea. 

17  In  all  countries  the  impression  made  is  in  direct  relation  to 
the  severity  of  the  laws,  of  which  we  have  the  climax  in  Uruguay 
(see  Uruguay  below),  with  Venezuela  and  Argentina  not  far  behind. 
In  all  cases  the  movement  was  begun  with  mild  laws  under  the 
impression  that  the  adoption  of  the  system  was  a simple  and  easy 
thing  to  bring  about.  Such  laws  failing,  more  drastic  ones  followed, 
but  even  these  have  been  but  partially  effective.  The  greatest 
progress  has  been  made  in  the  field  of  domestic  retail  trade,  in  which 
weights  and  measures  are  under  the  immediate  eye  of  officers  of  the 
law. 

18  It  is  this  field  which  comes  under  the  observation  of  tourists. 
One  may  tour  through,  or,  for  that  matter,  live  in  a country  for  many 
years,  in  many  walks  of  life,  and  experience  but  little  contact  with 
weights  and  measures  outside  the  field  of  retail  trade,  and  we  thus  see 
why  the  reports  of  tourists  are  more  favorable  to  the  metric  system 
than  the  facts  justify,  as  we  also  see  why  the  observations  of  tourists, 
in  a comprehensive  sense,  have  very  limited  value. 

19  The  further  we  get  from  the  field  of  retail  trade,  the  less  is  the 
system  used.  In  this  field  the  progress  is  chiefly  with  units  of  weight 
and  capacity,  the  measure  of  length  for  the  sale  of  drygoods  being 
commonly  the  vara,  while  imported  wearing  apparel  of  all  kinds  is 
commonly  sold  by  the  units  of  the  country  of  its  origin,  by  the  inch 
at  least  as  much  as  the  centimeter,  and  domestic  products  are  fre- 
quently made  to  numbered  sizes,  of  which  the  relation  to  any  system 
of  units  is  not  apparent.  They  are  not  metric. 

20  In  primary  or  wholesale  markets  the  old  measures  prevail, 


8 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


although  these,  in  some  cases,  have  been  adjusted  in  value  to  make 
them  even  multiples  of  English  basic  units.  We  have  here  perfect 
examples  of  the  simple  process  of  unification  of  English  and  Spanish 
measures  which,  with  proper  encouragement,  might  by  this  time  have 
become  substantially  universal. 

21  Lumber  and  timber  are  almost  universally  sawn  to  the  inch, 
although  frequently  mixed  with  the  vara  or  the  meter  for  length,  and 
the  square  and  cubic  meter  as  sales  units,  prices  being  made  at  so 
much  per  square  or  cubic  meter  for  one-inch  boards. 

22  In  the  mechanical  trades  tailors  and  seamstresses  use  all 
three  systems,  as  do  stone  and  brick  masons,  while  carpenters  com- 
monly use  the  pulgada  or  inch.  In  machine  shops  both  English  and 
metric  units  are  used,  depending  chiefly  on  the  country  of  origin  of 
the  machines  they  have  to  repair.  The  inch  is  predominant. 

23  In  this  connection  we  have  the  report  of  the  Cleveland  Twist 
Drill  Company  that  shipments  of  their  tools  to  South  America  are 
“95  per  cent  to  100  per  cent  English,”  and  of  the  Detroit  Twist  Drill 
Company  that  “All  of  our  South  American  customers  use  more 
English  sizes  than  metric.”  Needless  to  say,  English-sized  twist 
drills  are  bought  in  order  to  make  English-sized  holes,  for  they  will 
make  no  other. 

24  In  ship  and  boat  building,  also,  the  English  units  find  large 
use,  while  in  mining  and  smelting  we  find  a miscellaneous  mixture  of 
all  three  systems. 

25  The  persistence  of  old  units  is  most  pronounced  in  the 
measurement  of  land.  When  units  of  measure  are  once  anchored  in 
titles  to  real  estate,  they  are  there  to  stay.  Of  this  we  have  perfect 
examples  in  the  use  of  the  French  arpent  in  Louisiana  and  the 
Spanish  vara  in  Texas,  in  which  states  those  units  are  today  the 
common  units  of  land  measure.  Another  example  is  found  in  France, 
where,  in  some  sections,  the  old  units  of  land  measure  are  still 
predominant. 

26  When  outlying  districts  are  incorporated  within  city  limits, 
parcels  of  land  are  much  reduced  in  size  and  smaller  units  come  in. 
This  gives  an  opportunity  for  the  introduction  of  the  metric  system, 
but  with  the  result  that,  in  the  older  portions  of  the  town,  the  old 
units  are  used,  while  in  the  newer  portions  we  find  the  new  ones. 

27  Similarly,  initial  surveys  of  the  hinterland  give  an  oppor- 
tunity for  the  use  of  new  units,  but  again  with  the  result  that  the 
older  portions  of  the  country  are  measured  in  one  set  of  units  and  the 
newer  in  another. 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


9 


28  In  Uruguay,  where  the  laws  are  more  severe  and  more  rigidly 
enforced  than  in  any  other  country,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to 
authorize  the  use  of  old  units  for  the  measurement  of  land  (see 
Uruguay  below),  while  in  other  countries  the  laws,  in  this  applica- 
tion, are  quietly  ignored.  This  is  the  more  significant  because  all 
transfers  of  real  estate,  as  matters  of  public  record,  come  before  the 
eyes  of  officers  of  the  law.  In  other  countries,  again,  the  purchase 
and  sale  are  made  in  Spanish  units  and  the  day  is  then  saved  by 
inserting  metric  equivalents  in  the  documents  of  record. 

29  In  marine  measurements  and  sea  shipments  the  English 
system  is  used  everywhere,  although  mixed  with  metric  units,  espe- 
cially for  inland  navigation. 

30  Classified  in  another  way,  the  most-used  metric  units  are 
those  of  capacity.  Next  come  those  of  weight,  and,  trailing  far  in 
the  rear,  those  of  length  and  their  correlatives  of  area.  This  is  in 
accordance  with  a law  which  long  ago  made  itself  apparent. 

THE  REASON  WHY  COMPULSORY  METRIC  LAWS  FAIL 

31  A few  words  in  explanation  of  the  failure  of  even  drastic 
laws  for  the  adoption  of  the  metric  system  are  here  appropriate. 
Such  laws  fail  because  established  and  harmless  practice  cannot, 
except  in  a technical  sense,  be  made  a crime.  Fancy  an  American 
grocer  arrested,  haled  to  court,  fined,  and  even  sent  to  jail  for  selling 
sugar  by  the  pound  — a thing  that  has  been  done  since  the  Pilgrim 
fathers  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock.  And  yet  this  is  exactly  what  they 
do  in  Uruguay.  Place  a meter  and  a yardstick  alongside.  They 
differ  in  value  by  about  10  per  cent.  Is  it  conceivable  that  selling 
by  one  can  be  made  a virtue  and  by  the  other  a crime?  Fancy  an 
American  jury  convicting  a merchant  of  a crime  for  selling  drygoods 
by  the  yard!  And  yet  this  is  precisely  the  meaning  of  compulsory 
laws. 

32  It  is  a truism  of  law  that  excessive  penalties  cannot  be 
enforced  and  so  defeat  themselves,  and  is  it  not  clear  that  compulsory 
metric  laws  in  any  country  in  which  the  people  have  rights  are 
unenforceable,  and  that  the  more  drastic  they  are,  the  more  unen- 
forceable they  become? 

TREATMENT  OF  GENERAL  AND  OBSCURE  REPLIES 

33  In  the  following  summary,  Spanish  and  Portuguese  names 
are  used  for  Spanish  and  Portuguese,  and  English  names  for  English, 


10 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


units.  In  a few  cases  returned  questionnaires  in  English  have  used 
the  word  pound  when  those  in  Spanish  from  the  same  countries  have 
used  libra.  In  such  cases,  pound  has  been  taken  as  meaning  libra. 
Again,  pulgada  or  pollegada  has  been  used  for  commodities 
(e.g.,  pipe)  which  are  obtained  from  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  and  in  such  cases  those  words  have  been  understood  to 
mean  inch. 

34  The  English  inch  is  used  so  much  in  Latin  America  that  in 
these  reports  it  is  sometimes  called  the  pulgada  without  qualification. 
This,  in  a few  cases,  has  made  it  impossible  to  distinguish  with  cer- 
tainty between  the  pulgada  and  the  inch.  The  same  condition  and 
remark  apply,  although  to  a smaller  degree,  to  the  libra  and  pound, 
but  in  neither  case  is  there  any  uncertainty  regarding  the  non-use  of  the 
metric  system. 

35  When  the  reports  show,  as  they  often  do,  sales  to  be  made 
by  the  unit,  dozen  or  hundred,  the  information  has  been  omitted 
as  having  no  significance.  Similarly,  such  expressions  as  “by 
arrangement,”  “bale,”  “sack,”  “as  per  contract,”  “in  packages  of 
various  weights,”  “by  weight,”  “conventional,”  “lineal  and  square 
measures,”  “no  fixed  standard,”  “load  of  an  animal,”  “special  stand- 
ards,” of  which  there  are  many,  convey  no  definite  information  and 
have  been  ignored.  The  expressions  “American  measurements” 
and  “English  measurements”  have  been  translated  into  English 
units  when  they  are  sufficiently  well  defined  by  custom.  The 
expressions  “metric”  and  “metric  system”  have  been  treated 
similarly  when  the  units  used  are  known  or  made  clear  in  other 
questionnaires,  but  it  has  sometimes  been  necessary  to  use  the  in- 
clusive term  “metric.”  “English  system”  and  equivalent  expres- 
sions have  also  been  used  in  some  cases.  In  several  reports  on  wearing 
apparel,  numbered  sizes  are  given.  In  some  cases  these  are  clearly 
inches  or  centimeters  and  have  been  so  translated.  In  other  cases 
they  are  local  and  impossible  to  translate  into  any  system  of  units, 
and  have  been  so  given. 

36  The  word  quintal  (in  some  countries  called  cental)  invari- 
ably means  the  Spanish  quintal  of  100  libras,  and,  similarly,  tonelada 
means  the  Spanish  ton  of  2000  libras.  In  those  cases  in  which  the 
metric  quintal  of  100  kilograms  and  the  metric  ton  of  1000  kilos  have 
been  reported,  those  units  are  designated  as  metric  quintal  and  metric 
ton.  Some  of  the  reports  show  incongruous  units  for  certain  pur- 
poses, but  they  are,  of  necessity,  repeated  here. 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


11 


THEORIES  DISPROVEN 

37  On  its  face,  this  Report  sets  forth  a volume  of  facts  regarding 
the  weights  and  measures  of  Latin  America,  but,  in  addition  to  this, 
it  disproves  many  theories. 

38  The  first  theory  is  that  it  is  an  easy  and  simple  matter  for  a 
country  to  change  its  system  of  weights  and  measures.  Here  we 
have  the  results  of  twenty  attempts  to  bring  about  this  change,  most 
of  which  date  from  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  With 
but  one  exception  the  result  has  been  grotesque  failure,  while  in  none 
has  the  attempt  to  retire  old  units  been  successful. 

39  It  is  on  this  theory  that  the  entire  metric  case  is  based. 
Once  one  has  accepted  the  idea  that  a country  may  easily  change  its 
weights  and  measures,  it  is  a short  step  to  the  conclusion  that  those 
who  have  tried  it  have  succeeded,  and  then  another  short  step  to  the 
conclusion  that  we  can  succeed.  The  question  at  issue  is  one  not 
of  belief  but  of  fact.  With  twenty  failures  after,  in  most  cases,  more 
than  a half  century  of  effort,  the  fact  is  proven. 

40  The  second  theory  is  that  the  adoption  of  the  metric  sys- 
tem does  away  with  confusion  of  weights  and  measures.  These 
reports  show  that  the  actual  result  is  to  increase  and  not  eliminate 
confusion. 

41  The  third  theory  is  that  the  metric  system  is  in  universal 
use,  except  in  the  United  States,  the  British  Empire  and  Russia. 
These  reports  show  that  in  no  country  investigated  is  the  system 
universal. 

42  The  fourth  theory  is  that  we  must  adopt  the  metric  system 
if  we  are  to  succeed  in  selling  goods  to  Spanish  America.  These 
reports  show  that  if  we  are  to  change  our  weights  and  measures  in 
order  to  conform  to  the  practice  of  Spanish  America,  we  should  adopt 
the  Spanish  and  not  the  metric  system. 

43  The  fifth  theory  is  that  the  “adoption”  of  the  metric  system 
leads  to  an  important  saving  of  time  in  primary  education.  Clearly, 
with  a mixture  of  systems  in  use,  children  have  more  and  not  less 
to  learn. 

44  The  sixth  theory  is  that  the  adoption  of  the  metric  system 
leads  to  a saving  of  time  in  calculations.  Clearly,  with  this  mixture 
of  systems  in  use,  involving  the  constant  necessity  for  conversions 
between  them,  the  labor  of  calculations  is  increased  and  not  reduced. 
For  example,  consider  the  purchase  at  wholesale  by  the  meter  and 
the  sale  at  retail  by  the  vara. 


12 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


45  The  seventh  theory  is  that  the  persistence  of  old  units  in 
metric  countries  is  a persistence  of  names  but  not  of  things  — that 
the  practice  is  nothing  more  than  the  use  of  old  names  for  new  units. 
One  of  the  most  recent  formal  statements  of  this  theory  is  by  Dr. 
William  C.  Wells,  Chief  Statistician  of  the  Pan-American  Union,  who 
says  (Bulletin  of  the  Pan-American  Union,  January  1917) : 

It  has  been  found  somewhat  difficult  in  countries  adopting  the  metric  scale 
to  do  away  with  the  names  of  the  most-used  measures  such  as  yards,  quarts, 
pounds,  miles  etc.,  or  rather  of  the  equivalents  of  those  English  words  in  the 
language  of  the  country  adopting  the  metric  system.  ...  It  has  been  found  very 
easy  to  substitute  the  thing,  although  sometimes  difficult  to  substitute  the  word. 

. . . Scarcely  a vestige  of  the  old  system  is  left  in  any  country  that  adopted 
the  metric  system.  Now  and  then  in  Latin  American  countries  one  will  hear 
the  old  words,  but  almost  always  with  a meaning  adapted  to  the  new  scale. 

46  These  replies  are  sprinkled  with  such  expressions  as  these : 

“Same  as  in  the  United  States.”  “English  sizes.”  “For  distance,  the 
English  mile.”  “English  and  metric  system.”  “French  and  American  indis- 
criminately.” “Thickness  of  lumber  is  always  in  English  inches.”  “Metric 
system  infrequently.”  “The  two  standards  are  used  indiscriminately.”  “The 
meter  is  used  very  little.”  “The  artisans  of  the  country  use  in  their  calculations 
the  Spanish  vara  as  their  standard.”  “ Our  standard  of  weight  is  the  quintal  of 
100  Spanish  pounds.”  “The  people  continue  to  use  the  old  Spanish  measures.” 
“At  retail,  vara;  at  wholesale,  yard,  meter.”  “While  the  metric  system  is  legal 
it  is  not  enforced.”  “In  domestic  business,  only  the  Spanish  system  is  used.” 
“A  few  French  articles  are  in  metric  sizes.”  “The  cuadra  is  still  commonly  used, 
but  is  prohibited  in  the  documents.”  “ The  English  measures  prevail.”  “ Gener- 
ally the  English  foot,  exceptionally  the  meter.”  “ The  old  Brazilian  system  is 
still  commonly  used.”  “ Cloths  are  sold  indiscriminately  by  meters,  varas  and 
yards.”  “ Occasionally  the  metric  ton.”  “ The  metric  measurements  are  some- 
times used.” 

Such  expressions  as  the  above,  of  which  there  are  many  more,  cannot 
be  thus  explained. 

47  Many  of  these  reports  give  values  of  the  Spanish  in  terms  of 
metric  and  English  units  which  show  that  the  old  names  are  not  used 
for  the  new  units.  Of  these,  a few  of  many  examples  follow  (note 
that  the  libra  is  not  a half  kilogram) : 

From  Costa  Rica:  Vara,  0.836  meter;  libra,  460  grams;  cuartillo,  4.165 
liters;  botella,  0.67  liter;  manzana,  6988  square  meters. 

From  Argentina:  Vara,  0.866  meter;  pie,  0.289  meter;  libra,  0.4594  kilogram; 
tonelada,  918.8  kilograms. 

From  Nicaragua:  Vara,  33  inches;  libra,  16  onzas;  fanega,  288  libras;  man- 
zana, 10,000  square  varas. 

From  Ecuador:  Vara,  84  centimeters;  libra,  16  onzas;  cuadra,  100  square 
varas. 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


13 


From  Guatemala:  Vara,  2.78  feet;  manzana,  10,000  square  varas;  cabal- 
leria,  64  manzanas;  cuadra,  625  square  varas. 

From  Mexico:  Vara,  2.7  feet;  onza,  1.0148  ounces  avoirdupois;  cuartillo, 
1.7  quarts;  sitio,  1755  hectares;  caballeria,  42  hectares. 

From  Venezuela:  Vara,  0.836  meter;  pie,  0.279  meter;  pulgada,  0.023 
meter;  libra,  460  grams;  arroba,  11.5  kilograms. 

From  Honduras:  Vara  “about  33  inches”;  manzana,  “100  square  English 
\rards.” 

From  Brazil:  Libra,  0.45905  kilogram;  arroba,  14.6896  kilograms;  oitava, 
3.586  grams;  quartilho,  0.665  liter;  Canada,  2.662  liters. 

From  Peru:  Vara,  83  centimeters;  topo,  5000  square  varas,  or  3485  square 
meters;  quintal,  46  kilograms;  marco,  228  grams. 

From  Chile:  Quintal,  46  kilograms;  arroba,  1\\  kilograms;  corcada  (cord 
for  firewood),  6 pies  X 3 pies  X 3 pies. 

48  More  might  be  given  to  the  point  of  weariness,  but  the  above 
are  sufficient.  Not  one  of  all  of  these  hundreds  of  sheets  contains 
a single  item  to  substantiate  the  theory  advanced  by  Dr.  Wells. 
No  proof  of  it  has  ever  been  offered;  it  is  clearly  untenable  and  must 
be  dismissed. 

49  The  eighth  theory  is  that  we  will  use  metric  equivalents  for 
English  sizes,  or,  as  the  metric  party  put  it,  “ Whatever  is  manufac- 
tured must  be  actually  the  same  size  or  weight  as  before.  It  is 
merely  a matter  of  a new  term  of  expression.”  Nothing  to  justify 
this  theory  can  be  found  in  these  papers,  no  single  example  of  this 
practice  being  found  therein.  Articles  manufactured  to  the  inch 
(wearing  apparel,  pipe,  lumber,  etc.)  are  uniformly  sold  by  the  unit 
to  which  they  were  made. 


THE  RESULT  OF  A GREAT  SERIES  OF  EXPERIMENTS 

50  We  have  in  this  Report  a composite  picture  of  the  result  of 
many  attempts  to  adopt  the  metric  system,  that  result  being  uni- 
formly the  addition  of  that  system  to  those  previously  prevailing, 
and  it  is  this  that  we  must  contemplate  as  the  result  of  the  attempt 
to  adopt  it  here.  We  must  compare  what  we  have  with  what  we  will 
get,  not  with  what  one  may  hope  we  will  get.  Moreover,  it  must  be 
noted  that  had  all  these  countries  succeeded  in  this  great  experiment, 
it  would  have  no  significance  for  our  guidance,  because  of  the  greater 
importance  of  our  manufacturing  industries.  France  adopted  the 
system  before  the  beginning  of  the  manufacturing  era,  and  Germany 
adopted  it  before  the  development  of  manufacturing  in  that  country. 
Everyone  knows  that  the  rise  of  Germany  as  a manufacturing  nation 
began  after  the  war  of  1870.  South  American  countries  are  not 


14 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


manufacturing  countries.  More  manufacturing  is  done  in  the  city 
of  Philadelphia  than  in  all  South  America. 

51  We  see  then  that,  in  western  Europe,  the  system  was  adopted 
before  the  development  of  manufacturing  and  that  manufacturing 
has  developed  with  and  in  it,  while  in  South  America  practically  no 
manufacturing  is  carried  on. 

52  Great  Britain  and  we  are  the  first  to  be  asked  to  change  our 
manufacturing  units  for  which  there  is  not  a shadow  of  a precedent. 

53  Seldom  has  an  effort  of  such  magnitude  been  made.  We 
have  here  a record  of  twenty  experiments  on  a national  or,  collectively, 
a continental,  scale,  and  their  net  result  is  to  demonstrate  the  wisdom 
of  the  conclusion  arrived  at  by  John  Quincy  Adams  after  four  years 
of  investigation  and  nearly  a century  ago: 

The  substitution  of  an  entire  new  system  of  weight  and  measures  instead 
of  one  long  established  and  in  general  use,  is  one  of  the  most  arduous  exercises 
of  legislative  authority.  There  is,  indeed,  no  difficulty  in  enacting  and  promul- 
gating the  law,  but  the  difficulties  of  carrying  it  into  execution  are  always  great 
and  have  often  proved  insuperable. 

The  legislator  . . . finishes  by  increasing  the  diversities  which  it  was  his 
intention  to  abolish,  and  by  loading  his  statute  books  only  with  the  impotence 
of  authority  and  the  uniformity  of  confusion. 

It  is  to  protect  our  country  from  this  “ uniformity  of  confusion”  that 
we  are  fighting. 


THE  RESULTS  ARE  NOT  SURPRISING 

54  Some  who  read  this  Report  will,  no  doubt,  be  surprised  at 
the  condition  disclosed  in  Spanish  and  Portuguese  America,  but  there 
is  no  reason  why  any  one  should  be  surprised  as  no  one  has  seen  the 
first  scintilla  of  proof  to  the  contrary.  Assertions  and  assumptions 
have  been  repeated  so  many  times  that,  no  doubt,  in  some  cases,  they 
have  been  accepted  as  true,  but  no  proof  has  been  presented  and. there 
is  no  proof.  On  the  contrary,  those  who  know  weights  and  measures, 
who  know  the  gigantic  character  of  the  task  which  confronts  any 
nation  which  sets  out  to  change  them,  know  that  the  inherent  prob- 
abilities are  all  in  favor  of  the  condition  set  forth. 

55  Do  not  confound  legislation  for  the  adoption  of  the  metric 
system  with  its  real  adoption.  All  experience  shows  that  while  such 
legislation  is  fatally  easy,  the  adoption  of  the  system  is  impossible, 
the  effect  of  the  laws  being  to  bring  about  nothing  but  the  confusion 
and  disorder  that  prevail  throughout  Latin  America.  Every  success 
in  the  attempt  to  persuade  some  interest  to  introduce  the  system  is 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


15 


but  a step  toward  the  confusion  that  prevails  throughout  Latin 
America.  We  have  there  twenty  countries  in  which  the  experiment 
has  been  made  with  the  uniform  result  of  grotesque  failure.  Every 
expectation  has  been  falsified  and  every  prediction  inverted.  Shall 
we  take  warning,  or  shall  we  plunge  headlong  into  this  metric  morass? 

56  Following  are  the  summarized  replies  to  the  questionnaires: 


APPENDIX  1 

ARGENTINA 

(Summary  of  eleven  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Kilogram,  liter,  pound.  Fruits:  Kilogram.  Milk:  Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese: 
Kilogram.  Other  Farm  Products:  Kilogram,  liter.  Hardware:  Kilogram,  centimeter,  inch, 
meter,  yard.  Fish:  Kilogram.  Meat:  Kilogram.  Flour:  Kilogram.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Kilogram. 

Dry  Goods:  Meter,  yard.  Fuel:  Kilogram.  Tobacco:  Kilogram. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Centimeter,  inch,  local  numbers.  “The  measurements  of  these 
articles  are  expressed  in  the  trade  in  English  or  metric  units  according  to  their  source.  Clothing, 
collars,  hats,  etc.,  imported  from  England  are  measured  in  inches  and  those  from  France  in  metric 
units.”  Hats:  Centimeter,  local  numbers,  inch.  (See  clothing  above.)  Collars:  Centimeter, 
inch.  “Best  stores  have  conversion  tables  to  inches.”  (See  clothing  above.)  Underwear  and 
Hosiery:  Inch,  centimeter.  Shoes:  Centimeter.  “ Imported  shoes  in  English  sizes.  Loeal  man- 
ufactures to  special  Argentine  numbers.”  “The  point  corresponding  to  one-quarter  of  the  old 
French  inch.”  Gloves:  Centimeter.  Corsets:  Centimeter. 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  Hectare,  square  meter,  cuadra,  league,  vara.  “Lots  of  land 
are  sold  in  most  cases  by  the  square  vara.”  “In  many  places  the  vara  is  used,  also  the  cuadra,  but 
these  measures  are  not  legal.”  “In  Buenos  Aires  the  old  vara  is  still  quite  frequent.”  “The  real 
estate  dealers  are  accustomed  to  sell  city  lots  by  the  square  vara,  although  according  to  law  they 
are  liable  to  a severe  penalty.” 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Inch,  foot,  meter.  “English  measurements,  though  some  sales  are 
based  on  length  in  meters.”  “Length  always  in  meters,  breadth  and  thickness  more  often  in 
inches.”  “Chiefly  English  measures.”  “By  the  cubic  meter  and  square  meter  for  1 inch  in 
thickness.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Metric,  English.  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons: 
Metric.  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Meter,  centimeter. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Meter,  inch,  millimeter,  centimeter,  gram,  kilogram.  “Sizes  in  English 
measures.”  “Iron  measurements  in  inches,  otherwise  kilo  and  centimeter.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter,  square  meter,  kilogram.  In  Mines  and 
for  Mining  Products:  Metric  ton,  kilogram,  meter.  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  Meter, 
pulgada,  kilogram,  metric  ton.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Length,  meter;  diam- 
eter, meter,  foot,  inch;  weight,  kilogram.  “Meter  for  large  sewer  pipes;  soil  pipes,  English  and 
metric;  gas  and  water  pipes,  inch.” 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Meter,  foot,  inch,  kilogram.  Marine  Measurements:  Kilometer, 
meter,  pie,  ton,  mile,  knot,  cubic  foot.  “Distances,  maritime  miles;  charts,  feet;  tonnage  and 
displacement,  same  as  England  and  United  States.”  “English  measures.”  “As  regards  marine 
measurements,  although  contrary  to  legal  provisions,  people  use  for  distance  the  marine  mile. 
Charts  of  bays:  Depths  are  expressed  in  English  feet  or  in  fathoms  of  6 ft.  Tonnage  is  expressed 
in  Moorson  tons.  Displacement  is  expressed  in  English  tons.  Freight,  English  ton,  metric  ton.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  metric  ton.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  quintal,  hectoliter,  kilogram. 
Meat  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Kilo- 
gram. Milk  at  Wholesale:  Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram.  Garden  Products 
at  Wholesale:  Kilogram.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilogram,' metric  ton,  kilo- 
meter. Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Kilogram,  metric  ton.  Loads  and  Rates  for 
Transportation  by  Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Kilogram.  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length 
of  Lines:  Distances,  kilometer;  gage,  English,  metric.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the 
construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.):  English,  metric. 


16 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


“The  only  legal  units  for  any  business  transaction  are  the  metric  system,  but  through  a bad 
habit  there  has  been  introduced  in  common  language  the  indiscriminate  use  of  the  American  and 
Canadian  legal  measurements.” 

Mr.  E.  F.  Du  Brul  writes  from  Buenos  Aires:  “Many  quotations  on  the  market  are  made  in 
tons,  pounds,  etc.  City  land  is  sold  by  the  square  vara.  Wine,  etc.,  is  sold  by  the  pipe  and  barrel. 
I notice  advertisements  in  the  street  cars  of  wine  sold  by  the  frasco.  As  large  estancias  change 
hands  they  are  sold  by  the  square  legua.  I notice  that  there  is  one  ton  of  918.8  kilos.  I have  run 
into  a few  others;  for  example,  a metric  ton  of  1000  kilos;  another  of  1004  kilos;  another  of  1016 
kilos,  and  another  of  1018  kilos.  Many  building  operations  are  conducted  on  the  old  Spanish 
measurements.  Machinists  and  others  are  extremely  familiar  with  English  measurements  as  well 
as  Spanish  and  metric  because  they  have  to  use  all  three  of  them.”  Mr.  Du  Brul  encloses  a price 
list  of  files  made  in  Germany  and  sold  in  Buenos  Aires,  and  the  lengths  are  given  in  all  cases  in 
pulgadas. 

According  to  a standing  announcement  in  The  Journal  of  The  American  Society  of  Mech- 
anical Engineers,  the  Republic  of  Argentina  specifies  that  all  steam  boilers  for  government  use  are 
to  be  made  to  the  Society’s  code.  This  code  is  the  most  elaborate  piece  of  standardization  ever  un- 
dertaken. It  includes  a profusion  of  formulae  and  specifications  of  the  properties  of  materials  and 
the  strength  of  all  parts  in  English  units  exclusively. 

The  Boston  Pressed  Metal  Company  write:  “Shipments  to  Argentine  are  handled  by  our 
agent  at  Buenos  Aires  and  standard  English  sizes  are  accepted  and  used  without  question.  In  fact, 
there  has  never  been  any  suggestion  that  metric  sizes  were  required  or  preferred.” 

The  foregoing  clearly  shows  the  erroneous  character  of  the  report  of  the  International  High 
Commission  on  the  Metric  System  in  Export  Trade  prepared  by  the  Bureau  of  Standards,  to  the 
effect  that  the  Metric  System  is  “ obligatory”  in  Argentina.  The  same  holds  true,  also,  in  respect 
to  conditions  in  Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Costa  Rica,  Cuba,  Guatemala,  Mexico,  Nicaragua,  Peru, 
Spanish  Honduras,  and  Uruguay,  as  shown  by  the  summaries  of  the  questionnaires  returned  from 
these  countries,  given  below. 

Argentina  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1863. 

BOLIVIA 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  IV,  published  by  the  Department  in  1911,  contains  the  following:  “Bolivia  has 
officially  adopted  the  metric  system,  but  the  old  Spanish  weights  and  measures  are  those  commonly 
used.  All  cloth  is  retailed  by  the  vara.” 

BRAZIL 

(Summary  of  thirty-seven  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Liter,  kilogram,  gallao,  arroba,  gram.  Fruits:  Kilogram,  arroba,  alqueire;  con- 
serves in  V£-kilo  cans.  Milk:  Liter,  garrafa  of  % liter.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Kilogram,  libra;  butter 
in  packages  of  1 and  7 pounds  and  H,  H,  1.  and  3 kilograms.  Other  Farm  Products:  Cargueire 
quarta,  kilogram,  metric  pound,  liter,  arroba.  Hardware:  Inch,  kilogram,  meter,  centimeter,  milli- 
meter, metric  ton,  liter  (sic).  “Use  all  measures.”  Fish:  Kilogram.  Meat:  Kilogram,  liter  (sic), 
arroba.  Flour:  Liter,  kilogram,  alqueire.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Tea  in  cans  of  }4,  J4,  1 and  5 English 
pounds  and  by  kilogram;  coffee,  kilogram. 

Dry  Goods:  Meter,  jarda,  covado. 

Fuel:  Wood,  cubic  meter,  carroca,  cargueire;  coal,  metric  ton,  kilogram;  oil,  kilogram  and 

liter. 

Tobacco:  Kilogram,  meter,  arroba;  fine  tobacco,  onca. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Centimeter,  meter.  Hats:  Brazilian,  English,  Italian  and  Portu- 
guese numbers,  centimeter,  inch,  meter  (sic).  Collars:  Centimeter,  meter  (sic).  Underwear  and 
hosiery:  Underwear,  centimeter;  hosiery,  inch,  centimeter,  meter.  Shoes:  Centimeter,  numbered 
sizes  by  no  apparent  system,  English,  Portuguese,  meter  (sic).  Gloves:  Letter  sizes,  numbered 
sizes  by  no  apparent  system,  centimeter,  inch.  Corsets:  Centimeter,  meter  (sic). 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Meter,  square  meter,  alqueire,  hectare, 
leagua,  braca,  are,  palmo,  pollegada  (sic),  paulista,  front  foot,  tarefa.  “For  agricultural  lands  or 
open  lands  in  general  the  division  is  almost  universally  into  alqueires.”  “The  old  Brazilian  leagua 
is  generally  used.  “The  standard  throughout  the  State  is  the  alqueire.”  In  the  smaller  towns  : 
Braca,  alqueire,  square  meter,  tarefa,  vara,  hectare,  palmo,  front  meter,  are,  pollegada  (sic).  In 
cities:  Meter,  square  meter,  braca,  are,  palmo,  pollegada  (sic),  hectare. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Palmo,  foot,  inch,  pie,  pollegada,  meter  and  palmo  for  length,  square 
foot,  cubic  meter,  centimeter.  “Thickness  of  lumber  always  in  English  inches.  Width  in  Eng- 


FKEDEKICK  A.  HALSEY 


17 


lish  inch  by  the  lumber  company,  and  Portuguese  inch  by  others.  The  lengths  in  feet  by  the  lum- 
ber company  and  Portuguese  inches  by  others.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Meter,  inch,  foot,  palmo,  pollegada,  centimeter.  By 
Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Meter,  cubic  meter,  square  meter,  pollegada,  centimeter,  palmo.  By 
Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Meter,  centimeter. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Meter,  foot,  inch,  palmo,  kilogram,  metric  ton,  gram,  liter  (sic).  “The 
metric  system  was  established  by  law  under  the  Empire  as  the  only  official  system.  The  English 
system,  especially  for  metal  work,  is  very  popular.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter,  palmo,  braca.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining 
Products:  Meter,  cubic  meter,  metric  ton,  kilogram,  gram,  oitavo,  carat.  In  Smelting  and  for 
Smelter  Products:  Cubic  meter,  metric  ton,  inch,  (sic)  centimeter,  (sic)  kilogram,  gram.  Sizes  of 
Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch,  centimeter,  meter  for  length.  “English  system  chiefly; 
metric  system  infrequently.”  “For  the  measurement  of  earthen  pipes,  the  internal  diameter  is 
usually  given  in  inches.  Metal  tubing  for  gas  and  water  is  measured  by  weight,  per  kilogram. 
Diameters  are  usually  measured  in  inches  and  lengths  in  meters.”  “The  English  measures  pre- 
vail.” 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Meter,  yard,  foot,  inch.  “Generally  the  English  foot;  exception- 
ally the  meter.”  Marine  measurements:  Marine  mile,  foot  for  harbor  charts,  meter;  freight  by 
metric  ton,  cubic  meter,  kilogram;  depths  in  meters  or  feet ; knot,  league.  “ English  mile  for  dis- 
tance; English  foot  for  drafts.”  “English  system.”  “The  nautical  mile  is  most  commonly  em- 
ployed; Lloyds’  registry  is  used  in  calculating  tonnage.”  “Distances,  English  mile;  tonnage, 
English  ton;  draft,  English  foot.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Arroba,  kilogram.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Liter,  kilogram,  prato,  cargueiro 
quarta,  alqueire,  arroba.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  arroba.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Kilo- 
gram, arroba,  amarrado,  metric  ton.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  arroba.  Milk  at  Wholesale: 
Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  libra,  jaca,  arroba.  Garden  Products  at  Whole- 
sale: Liter,  kilogram.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  arroba. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilometer,  metric  ton,  cubic 
meter.  Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Kilometer,  tonelada,  cubic  meter,  arroba,  metric 
ton,  kilogram.  Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Arroba, 
kilogram.  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Meter,  kilometer,  centimeter.  Railway 
Equipment  (units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  coaches,  etc.):  Inch,  foot,  kilo- 
gram, meter.  “Weight,  kilo;  measure,  English  inch.” 

“The  official  system  of  weights  and  measures,  etc.,  is  the  metric  system.  However,  the  old 
Brazilian  system  is  still  commonly  used.” 

Brazil  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1862. 


CHILE 

(Summary  of  ten  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Libra,  kilogram.  “ Generally  the  libra.  ” Fruits:  Libra,  kilogram.  Milk:  Liter, 
hectoliter,  botella  =2/3  liter.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra,  kilogram.  Other  Farm  Products:  Libra, 
kilogram,  quintal,  fanega.  Hardware:  Libra,  kilogram.  Fish:  Libra,  kilogram.  Meat:  Kilo- 
gram, libra.  “Live  cattle,  kilo;  meat,  libra.”  Flour:  Libra,  kilogram,  arroba,  quintal.  Tea  and 
Coffee:  Libra,  fanega,  quintal,  kilogram. 

Dry  Goods:  Vara,  yard,  meter.  “Wholesale,  yard;  retail,  vara.” 

Fuel:  Kilogram,  raja,  cubic  meter,  decaliter  (sic),  almud,  fanega,  tonelada,  metric  ton, 
cordada. 

Tobacco:  Libra,  quintal,  kilogram,  gram. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Centimeter,  inch.  “As  in  United  States  and  England.”  Hats: 
Local  numbers,  inch,  centimeter.  Collars:  Centimeter.  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Centimeter, 
inch.  “As  in  the  United  States.”  Shoes:  Centimeter.  Gloves:  “English  sizes,”  local  numbers, 
centimeter.  Corsets:  Centimeter,  inch.  “French  and  English,”  “English  sizes.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Hectare,  cuadra,  caballeria,  leagua. 
In  the  smaller  towns:  Hectare,  meter,  cuadra,  square  meter,  caballeria,  potrero.  In  cities:  Square 
meter,  square  vara. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Inch,  square  foot,  foot,  board  foot,  cubic  yard.  “Sizes  as  in  United 
States.”  “Length  of  native  wood  in  Spanish  varas.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Inch,  foot,  square  foot.  “The  measures  generally 
used  are  the  foot  and  inch,  rarely  the  meter.”  “The  meter  is  sometimes  used  for  the  sizes  of 


18 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


beams.”  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Square  meter,  cubic  meter,  inch,  centimeter.  By  Tailors 
and  Seamstresses:  Centimeter,  meter,  vara. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Inch,  foot.  ‘‘In  repair  work  on  English  and  American  machinery,  feet 
and  inches;  on  German,  French  and  Italian,  metric.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Grounds:  Cubic  meter,  vara,  pie.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining 
Products:  Quintal,  cubic  meter,  kilogram,  tonelada,  metric  ton.  ‘‘Long  tons  for  ores  for  England; 
short  tons  for  American  purchase;  metric  for  local  smelters;  Troy  and  metric  for  assays.”  In  Smelt- 
ing and  for  Smelter  Products:  Tonelada,  kilogram,  cubic  meter,  quintal.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas, 
Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch,  foot,  centimeter  for  sewer  pipe. 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Tonelada,  pie,  pulgada,  foot,  inch,  meter,  centimeter.  Marine 
Measurements:  Mile,  knot,  kilometer,  braza  (fathom),  ton.  ‘‘For  distances,  the  English  mile; 
for  charts  of  bays,  the  meter;  for  tonnage,  the  metric  ton;  for  displacement,  the  metric  ton;  for 
freight  and  bulk,  meter  and  metric  weight.”  “English  maritime  mile.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Fanega,  metric  ton,  kilogram,  quintal,  metric  quintal,  arroba.  Grain 
at  Wholesale:  Fanega,  arroba,  quintal,  metric  quintal,  kilogram,  hectogram.  Meat  at  Wholesale: 
Kilogram.  “Wholesale,  per  kilo;  retail,  per  libra.”  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  libra,  kilo- 
gram, arroba.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  fanega,  kilogram,  metric  quintal.  Milk  at  Whole- 
sale: Hectoliter,  liter,  botella  (2/3  liter).  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  quintal,  kilogram, 
arroba.  Garden  Products  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  kilogram,  arroba.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Quintal. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Metric  quintal,  tonelada, 
kilogram.  Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Quintal,  tonelada,  cubic  meter.  Railway 
Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Meter,  kilometer.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the  con- 
struction and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.):  Kilogram,  inch,  foot,  quintal. 

“The  addition  of  the  metric  system  has  merely  added  an  additional  system  without  any 
visible  advantage.  So  long  as  the  Anglo-Saxon  dominates  in  the  manufacturing  world,  feet, 
inches  and ’pounds  will  be  used  here.”  “All  measures  are  mixed.  Besides  metric,  avoirdupois 
weight  and  feet  there  are  many  Spanish  and  local  measures  like  the  cajon,  marco,  fanega,  Spanish 
quintal,  etc.”  “The  libra  is  most  frequently  used  in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  goods  for  daily 
consumption.”  “In  machine  shops  it  may  be  said  that  up  to  the  present  the  foot  and  inch  have 
predominated.”  “The  sales  of  the  leading  product  of  this  section,  nitrate  of  soda,  are  made  com- 
mercially in  Spanish  quintals.”  “The  Chilian  hydrographic  charts  have  scales  in  several  units, 
— cables,  meters  and  geographic  miles.” 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  IV,  published  by  the  Department  in  1911,  contains  the  following:  “Chile  has 
officially  adopted  the  metric  system,  but  in  the  shops  throughout  the  country  the  vara  is  still  the 
recognized  length  for  retail  selling.” 

Chile  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1858. 


COLOMBIA 

(Summary  of  five  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  “Pound  and  arroba  of  25  English  pounds,”  kilogram,  quintal.  Fruits:  Pound, 
kilogram,  quintal,  arroba.  Milk:  Botella  of  360  and  750  grams.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Pound, 
libra,  arroba,  metric  pound.  Other  Farm  Products:  Pound,  arroba,  kilogram,  quintal.  Hardware 
“American  and  English  measurements  generally.”  “English  pound  or  arroba  of  25  English 
pounds.”  Fish:  Pound,  “arroba  of  25  English  pounds.”  Meat:  Pound,  libra,  arroba.  Flour: 
Libra,  pound.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra,  pound,  ounce,  kilogram. 

Dry  Goods:  Yard,  vara,  meter.  “Cloths  are  sold  indiscriminately  by  meters,  varas,  or  yards 
according  to  the  origin  of  the  goods  or  the  whim  of  the  buyer.” 

Fuel:  Kilogram,  burro,  arroba,  metric  ton,  English  ton  and  pound. 

Tobacco:  Libra,  arroba,  pound. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  “American  and  French  measurements.”  Hats:  “American  and 
French  measurements.”  “Spanish  sizes.”  Collars:  “American  and  French  measurements.” 
Underwear  and  Hosiery:  “American  and  French  measurements.”  “ Spanish  sizes.”  Shoes:  “Ameri- 
can and  French  measurements.”  “Spanish  sizes.”  Gloves:  “American  and  French  measure- 
ments.” Corsets:  “American  and  French  measurements.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Hectare,  fanegada,  cabuya.  In 
the  smaller  towns:  Cabuya  (50  brazas),  square  vara.  In  cities:  Square  vara,  square  meter,  square 
yard.  “The  real-estate  documents  always  give  the  measure  that  is  used  indiscriminately.” 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


19 


Lumber  and  Timber:  Square  foot,  metric,  “Standard  board  sizes  in  inches.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Square  foot,  “Feet  and  inches  and  metric  system 
about  equally.”  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Metric,  inch.  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Square 
foot. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Meter,  foot,  “English  system.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining  Products: 
“English.”  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  “English.”  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water, 
Sewers,  Etc.:  “English  measures.” 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Cubic  ton,  “English  measures.”  Marine  Measurements:  Mile, 
“Metric  measurements  and  weights.”  “The  braza,  which  corresponds  to  the  English  fathom. 
The  English  nautical  league  and  mile,  English  ton  and  short  ton;  occasionally  the  metric  ton. 
Displacement  ton  as  above  (English).  Freight  per  metric  ton.” 

Grain  at  Wholesale:  Hectare  (sic),  pound,  arroba,  quintal.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  arroba. 
Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  kilogram,  arroba,  manojo,  ton.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram, 
arroba,  quintal.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Contara,  botella.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Pound, 
arroba,  metric  pound.  Garden  Products  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  kilogram,  arroba,  quintal.  Rubber 
at  Wholesale:  Pound,  arroba,  quintal,  metric  ton. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilometer.  Loads  and  Rates 
for  City  Transportation:  Arroba,  mile,  pound.  Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback 
Across  the  Mountains:  Arroba,  mile. 

Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Inch,  foot,  meter,  kilometer. 

“The  pound  in  this  region  is  the  English  because  all  the  machines,  platform  scales  and  weigh- 
ing instruments  come  from  England  and  the  United  States.”  “As  you  can  see,  we  have  no  uni- 
formity of  weights  and  measures  in  this  country.”  The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Com- 
mercial Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor,  Part  II,  published  by  the  Department 
in  1910,  contains  the  following:  “An  instance  of  the  conservatism  of  the  retail  merchants  in  this 
respect  was  strikingly  shown  during  the  recent  civil  war,  when  the  Bogota  importers  found  it 
necessary  to  get  some  white  goods  from  the  Barranquilla  importers.  On  arrival  the  importers 
found  them  almost  unsalable  because  they  were  in  the  coast  lengths  of  20  yards  instead  of  the 
customary  Bogota  lengths  of  24  yards.  It  would  seem  that,  as  the  goods  are  finally  retailed  by 
the  vara,  the  length  of  cuts  would  be  immaterial,  but  according  to  the  importers  it  has  a strong 
effect  on  the  salability  of  the  cloth,  and  this  peculiarity  must  be  catered  to  in  order  to  obtain  the 
business.” 

Colombia  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1853. 


COSTA  RICA 

(Summary  of  three  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Libra,  cajuela,  fanega,  quintal.  Fruit:  Domestic,  no  standard;  imported,  libra. 
Milk:  Liter,  botella  {%  gallon).  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra,  arroba.  Other  Farm  and  Garden  Pro- 
ducts: Libra,  cuarillo,  fanega,  cajuela,  quintal.  Hardware:  Pie,  vara,  libra,  pound.  Fish:  Libra 
quintal.  Meat:  Kilogram,  libra.  Flour:  Quintal,  half  quintal,  libra.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Quintal, 
libra. 

Dry  Goods:  Vara,  yard. 

Fuel:  Coal,  libra;  charcoal,  cuartillo;  wood,  no  defined  unit. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch,  centimeter.  Hats:  Inch.  Collars:  Inch,  centimeter.  Under- 
wear and  Hosiery:  Inch,  centimeter.  Shoes:  English  numbers,  French  numbers.  Gloves:  Inch. 
Corsets:  Inch. 

Measurement  of  Land:  In  agricultural  districts:  Hectare,  square  vara,  manzana,  are.  In 
the  smaller  towns:  Hectare,  square  pie,  square  vara,  square  meter.  In  cities:  Hectare,  square  pie, 
square  vara,  manzana,  square  meter.  “The  people  in  their  transactions  generally  use  the  man- 
zana and  square  vara,  but  the  registry  of  documents  in  the  government  office  is  based  entirely  on 
the  meter  and  the  hectare.” 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Lineal  and  cubic  pie,  tonelada  of  27  cubic  pies,  ton  of  1000  kilos,  foot 
and  vara  for  length,  inch  for  thickness. 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Superficial  and  cubic  pie,  meter,  foot,  vara,  yard. 
“Indiscriminately  the  English  foot,  the  Spanish  vara,  yard  and  meter.”  By  Tailors  and  Dress- 
makers: Yard,  vara,  meter. 


20 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


In  Machine  Shops:  Quintal,  libra,  meter,  vara,  foot,  yard,  pound. 

In  Contracts  for  the  Excavation  of  Ground:  Tonelada,  cubic  meter,  cubic  vara,  cubic  foot, 
cubic  yard,  cubic  meter.  In  Mines  and  Mineral  Products:  Metric  ton,  tonelada,  ounce.  Smelting 
and  Smelter  Products:  Foot,  vara,  yard,  meter,  libra,  kilogram.  Pipe  Sizes:  Inch,  foot. 

Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Cubic  ton.  Marine  Measurements:  Mile,  league.  Hay  at  Whole- 
sale: Bale  of  30  to  50  libras.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  fanega,  cajeula,  cuartillo.  Meat  at 
Wholesale:  Kilogram,  quintal.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  bag  of  160  liters.  Coffee  at 
Wholesale:  Quintal,  tonelada.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Botella.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale: 
Quintal,  arroba.  Garden  Products  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  bag  of  160  liters.  Rubber  at  Wholesale: 
Quintal. 

Railway  Tariff:  Passengers  per  mile;  freight  per  quintal,  kilo,  metric  ton,  cubic  pie,  cubic 
ton,  cubic  meter  per  kilometer.  Urban  Transportation:  Quintal.  Muleback  Transportation  Across 
Mountains:  Arroba.  Railway  Gage:  Feet  and  inches. 

“Although  the  law  No.  35  of  July  17,  1884,  established  the  metric  system  as  obligatory,  the 
people  and  the  merchants  do  not  use  it  ordinarily  in  their  transactions.” 

Costa  Rica  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1858. 


CUBA 

(Summary  of  three  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Libra,  quintal.  Fruits:  Libra.  Milk:  Botella.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra. 
Other  Farm  Products:  Libra.  Hardware:  “English  measures.”  Fish:  Libra.  Meat:  Libra. 
Flour:  Libra.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra.  Dry  Goods:  Vara,  yard. 

Fuel:  Libra,  cuerda. 

Tobacco:  Libra,  quintal. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch,  “American  measures.”  Hats:  Centimeter,  “American  meas- 
ures.” Collars:  Inch,  centimeter.  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Inch,  centimeter,  “American  meas- 
ures.” Shoes:  Centimeter,  “American  measures.”  Gloves:  Centimeter,  inch,  “American  meas- 
ures.” Corsets:  Inch,  centimeter,  “American  measures.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Caballeria,  leagua,  carreaux,  “the 
equivalents  being  inserted  in  all  public  documents  according  to  law.”  In  the  smaller  towns:  Ca- 
balleria, vara,  meter,  cubana.  In  cities:  “Parcels  of  1000  square  varas.” 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Foot,  inch,  kilogram  (sic). 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Foot,  inch,  kilogram  (sic).  By  Tailors  and  Seam- 
stresses: Meter,  centimeter.  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Meter,  foot,  inch,  kilogram  (sic). 

In  Machine  Shops:  Inch,  centimeter,  pound. 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining  Products: 
Ton,  metric.  “Transactions  with  the  United  States  in  feet,  inches  and  pounds.”  In  Smelting 
and  for  Smelter  Products:  Centimeter,  inch.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch. 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Foot,  inch,  meter,  ton.  Marine  Measurements:  League,  ton, 
mile,  “foot  for  depth.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English  quintal. 
Meat  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  Spanish  and  English  quintal.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English 
quintal.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English  and  Spanish  quintal.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Botella. 
Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Garden  Products  at  Wholesale:  Pound. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance) : Meter,  kilogram,  kilometer. 
Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Meter,  kilogram.  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of 
Lines:  Foot,  inch,  kilometer.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of 
locomotives,  cars,  etc.):  “American  and  English  equipment.” 

“American  measures  generally  used  and  in  each  industry  the  name  is  used  that  corresponds 
with  the  English  meaning.” 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  I,  published  by  the  Department  in  1909,  contains  the  following:  “Though  the 
metric  system  of  weights  and  measures  is  the  official  and  legal  system  in  Cuba,  some  of  the  Spanish 
weights  and  measures  are  still  largely  used,  among  them  being  the  arroba  and  the  vara.  Cloth  is 
bought  by  the  importer  by  the  meter  or  yard,  and  is  retailed  in  the  shops  by  the  yard  or  the  vara, 
the  vara  being  more  commonly  used.” 

Cuba  is  one  of  the  thirty-four  countries  which,  according  to  the  American  Metric  Association, 
have  “adopted”  the  metric  system. 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


21 


DOMINICAN  REPUBLIC 

Commerce  Reports,  published  by  the  Department  of  Commerce,  prints  the  following  communi- 
cation, dated  February  20,  1918,  from  Consul  Arthur  McLean  of  Puerto  Plata:  “The  metric  system 
of  weights  and  measures  has  been  legally  adopted  by  the  Dominican  Republic.  The  only  places, 
however,  where  the  metric  system  is  applied  to  trade  here  is  in  the  municipal  markets;  avoirdupois 
weights  are  used  in  all  other  mercantile  transactions,  although  the  metric  system  is  in  force  in  the 
customs  and  other  Government  institutions.  The  kilometer  and  the  league  are  the  two  units  most 
generally  used  in  computing  distances.  Jobbers  use  the  English  yard  in  selling  cotton  goods  to 
the  retailers,  while  the  latter  in  turn  sell  to  their  customers  by  the  vara  or  Spanish  yard,  measuring 
33  inches.  While  quotations  may  be  made  by  American  houses  to  their  clients  in  the  Dominican 
Republic  in  either  metric  or  English  units,  the  latter  are  equally  acceptable,  if  not  preferred.” 


ECUADOR 

(Summary  of  five  returned  questionnaires.  One  of  the  questionnaires,  in  English,  reports 
pounds  where,  in  view  of  the  others,  libras  are  probably  meant  and  are  so  here 
reported.) 

Groceries:  Libra,  quintal.  Milk:  Liter,  gallon.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra,  arroba,  quintal. 
Other  Farm  Products:  Arroba,  quintal.  Hardware:  Libra,  arroba,  quintal;  pipe  by  the  foot, 
sheet  iron  and  zinc  by  the  pound,  nails  and  tacks  by  the  pound  and  ounce.  Fish:  Arroba,  quintal. 
Meat:  Libra,  kilogram.  Flour:  Libra,  kilogram,  quintal.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra.  Dry  Goods: 
At  retail,  vara;  at  wholesale,  yard,  meter. 

Tobacco:  Libra,  quintal. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch.  Hats:  Centimeter.  Collars:  Centimeter.  Underwear  and 
Hosiery:  Inch,  centimeter.  Shoes:  Centimeter,  English  sizes.  Gloves:  Centimeter,  inch.  Cor- 
sets: Centimeter,  inch. 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Hectare,  cuadra,  square  meter.  In 
the  smaller  towns:  Square  meter,  cuadra.  In  cities:  Square  meter,  vara.  “In  the  cities  the 
buildings  are  measured  by  the  meter,  the  lots  by  the  vara.” 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Square  foot,  pie,  foot,  pulgada,  inch,  centimeter;  length  in  varas,  cir- 
cumference in  palmas. 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Square  foot,  pie,  pulgada,  vara.  By  Tailors  and 
Seamstresses:  Centimeter. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Centimeter,  millimeter,  pulgada,  inch,  meter.  “The  common  standard 
is  the  English  inch.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Square  meter,  cubic  meter,  vara.  In  Mines  and  for 
Mining  Products:  Kilogram,  ton,  tonelada,  quintal.  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  Quin- 
tal, pound,  kilogram.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch,  centimeter,  meter  for  length, 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Ton,  meter,  vara.  Marine  Measurements:  Kilometer,  meter 
vara,  league,  metric  ton,  English  ton,  tonelada,  mile,  knot,  braza,  paja,  malina,  buey. 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Quintal.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Fanega,  quintal.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Kilo- 
gram. Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  quintal.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Quintal.  Milk  at 
Wholesale:  Gallon  “of  4 liters,”  liter.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Libra.  Rubber  at  Whole- 
sale: Quintal,  kilogram. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilometer.  Loads  and 
Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Weight,  cubic  pie.  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Meter, 
kilometer,  inch.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives, 
coaches,  etc.):  American. 

“The  Spanish  inch,  foot  and  ton  are  used  as  are  other  measures,  although  the  metric  measure- 
ments are  sometimes  used.”  “The  Spanish  pound  is  used  in  weighing  everything.”  “While  the 
metric  system  is  legal,  it  is  not  enforced.” 

(Reply  to  a questionnaire  sent  out  by  Mr.  Henry  R.  Towne) 

Legal  Standards:  Metric  system  used  by  the  Government. 

Common  Standards:  The  public  uses  generally  the  old  Spanish  (Castilian)  measures,  the  vara, 
the  libra,  and  the  gallon. 


22 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


Commercial  Use:  Metric  system  used  in  business  with  foreign  countries  except  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain,  in  which  case  the  British  system  is  used.  In  domestic  business  only  the 
Spanish  system  is  used. 

Domestic  Use:  Only  the  Spanish  system  in  domestic  use. 

Measuring  Implements:  Spanish  measures  chiefly. 

Dual  Standards:  The  old  Spanish  (Castilian)  is  preferred  simply  as  a matter  of  habit  “handed 
down  by  the  Conquistadors.” 

Adoption  of  Metric  System:  Metric  system  adopted  about  30  years  ago. 

Bookkeeping,  Invoicing,  Etc.:  Bookkeeping  about  half  in  metric  and  half  in  old  Spanish 
units,  but  only  the  latter  used  in  making  out  domestic  invoices.  Foreign  invoices  about  90  per 
cent  metric  and  10  per  cent  old  Spanish.  Business  records  about  half  and  half. 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  IV,  published  by  the  Department  in  1911,  contains  the  following:  “ Cloth  is  bought 
and  sold  by  the  importer  by  the  yard,  meter  or  vara,  but  is  always  retailed  by  the  vara.” 

Ecuador  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1856. 


GUATEMALA 

(Summary  of  four  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Libra,  quintal.  Milk:  Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra.  Fish:  Libra.  Meat: 
Libra.  Flour:  Libra,  quintal.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra. 

Dry  Goods:  Vara. 

Fuel:  Carga,  red. 

Tobacco:  Libra. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch.  Hats:  Inch,  centimeter.  “The  two  standards  are  used  in- 
differently.” Collars:  Inch,  centimeter.  “The  two  standards  are  used  indifferently.”  Under- 
wear and  Hosiery:  Inch.  Shoes:  English  sizes,  French  sizes. 

Gloves:  Inch.  Corsets:  Inch.  “The  importers  usually  sell  all  cloths,  that  is  to  say,  men’s 
cloths,  by  the  yard.  The  retailers  often  and  almost  solely  use  the  vara.  The  meter  is  used  very 
little  and  for  the  most  part  only  between  importers  and  buyers  at  wholesale.” 

Measurement  of  Land:  In  agricultural  districts:  Caballeria,  manzana,  cuerda,  fanega,  almud. 
In  smaller  towns:  Cuerda.  In  cities:  Square  vara. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Foot  and  inch. 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Foot  and  inch.  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Cubic 
yard,  square  vara,  cuadrada.  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Yard,  vara. 

In  Blacksmith  Shops:  Libra,  vara,  meter.  In  Machine  Shops:  Foot  and  inch. 

In  Contracts  for  the  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  pie,  cubic  yard.  Mining  and  Mine  Products: 
English  ton  of  2000  lb.  Sizes  of  Pipe:  Inch. 

Grain  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  quintal,  fanega.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  arroba.  Root  Crops 
at  Wholesale:  Libra,  quintal.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  quintal.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Liter, 
botella.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Libra.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  quintal. 

Railway  Tariff:  Passengers  per  mile,  freight  per  pound  per  mile.  Urban  Trucking:  Mile. 
Railway  Track  Gage:  3 ft. 

“The  artisans  of  the  country  use  in  their  calculations  the  Spanish  vara  as  the  standard. 
Foreigners  use  the  yard  or  the  meter  indifferently,  but  the  lumber  dealer  and  the  dealer  in  logs  sell 
by  thousands  of  square  feet  (English).” 

(Reply  to  a Questionnaire  sent  out  by  Mr.  Henry  R.  Towne) 

Legal  Standards:  Metric. 

Common  Standards:  Chiefly  the  old  units.  The  people  generally  use  the  Spanish  vara,  the 
cuarta,  and  the  libra. 

Commercial  Use:  Metric  system  generally  used  in  business. 

Domestic  Use:  In  domestic  life  the  old  Spanish  measures  are  generally  used. 

Measuring  Implements:  Weighing  scales  are  sold  marked  on  one  side  in  libras  and  on  the  other 
side  in  kilograms.  Measures  of  length  are  marked  on  one  side  with  the  cuarta  and  on  the  other  with 
the  meter.  Measures  of  volume  comprise  only  the  liter  and  the  vara  or  cubic  meter. 

Dual  Standards:  The  people  continue  to  use  the  old  Spanish  measures  from  habit  and  because 
they  know  them  better  than  the  others. 

Adoption  of  Metric  System:  The  metric  system  was  adopted  here  more  than  twenty  years 
ago,  when  the  Republic  was  established. 

Bookkeeping,  Invoicing , Etc.:  The  vara  and  the  meter  or  yard  are  used  indifferently. 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


23 


“Our  standard  of  weight  is  the  quintal  of  100  Spanish  pounds.  Our  standard  of  measure  is 
the  botella.” 

According  to  the  Report  to  the  International  High  Commission  on  the  Metric  System  in 
Export  Trade  prepared  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Standards,  the  metric  system  is  “obliga- 
tory” in  Guatemala. 

Guatemala  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1894. 

HAITI 

Factors  in  Foreign  Trade,  published  by  the  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor,  1912,  gives 
the  following  information: 

“ Weights  and  Measures:  Metric  system,  but  pounds,  tons  and  gallons  are  generally  used  in 
commerce  and  statistics.  The  pound  of  500  grams  (1.1023  pounds  avoirdupois)  is  adopted  in  the 
customs;  the  ton  is  2000  pounds;  gallon  is  equivalent  to  United  States  gallon.” 

MEXICO 

(Summary  of  ten  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Kilogram.  Fruits:  Kilogram.  Milk:  Liter,  cuartillo.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Kilo- 
gram, pound.  Other  Farm  Products:  Kilogram,  metric  ton,  arroba,  carga,  cuartillo.  Hardware: 
Kilogram,  meter,  “as  in  U.  S.”  Fish:  Kilogram.  Meat:  Kilogram.  Flour:  Kilogram,  arroba, 
carga.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Kilogram,  libra,  pound. 

Dry  Goods:  Kilogram  (sic),  meter,  centimeter,  vara,  yard. 

Fuel:  Kilogram,  cord,  quintal,  metric  ton,  troje,  zontla. 

Tobacco:  Kilogram. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Meter,  yard,  inch,  centimeter,  kilo  (sic).  “French  and  American 
indiscriminately.”  “As  in  U.  S.”  Hats:  Meter  (sic),  yard  (sic),  inch,  centimeter.  “French  or 
American  indiscriminately.”  “As  in  U.  S.”  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Meter  (sic),  yard  (sic), 
inch,  centimeter.  “French  or  American  indiscriminately.”  “As  in  U.  S.” 

Shoes:  Meter  (sic),  yard  (sic),  centimeter,  English  sizes.  “French  or  American  indiscrimi- 
nately.” “As  in  U.  S.”  Corsets:  Meter  (sic),  yard  (sic),  centimeter,  inch.  “French  or  American 
indiscriminately.”  “As  in  U.  S.”  Gloves:  Meter  (sic),  yard  (sic),  inch,  centimeter.  “French  or 
American  indiscriminately.”  “As  in  U.  S.”  “If  material  is  from  France,  the  meter;  if  from  the 
United  States,  the  yard.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Hectoliter  (sic),  liter  (sic),  hectare, 
sitio,  caballeria,  acre,  kilometer.  In  the  smaller  towns:  Hectoliter  (sic),  liter  (sic),  hectare,  square 
meter,  acre,  kilometer.  In  cities:  Hectoliter  (sic),  liter  (sic),  hectare,  meter,  square  meter,  acre, 
kilometer. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Foot,  inch,  cubic  foot,  meter,  centimeter,  pulgada,  pie,  kilogram  (sic). 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Foot,  inch,  meter,  centimeter,  pulgada,  pie.  By 
Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Meter,  centimeter,  vara.  By  Blacksmiths:  Metric.  By  Stone  and  Brick 
Masons:  Foot,  inch,  meter,  square  meter,  kilogram,  centimeter. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Inch,  kilogram,  meter,  centimeter. 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter,  square  meter,  meter.  In  Mines  and  for 
Mining  Products:  Cubic  yard,  metric  ton,  square  meter,  kilogram,  onza,  meter.  In  Smelting  and 
for  Smelter  Products:  Foot,  meter,  metric  ton.  Sizes  of  Pipes  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Foot, 
inch,  meter,  centimeter. 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Meter,  foot,  kilogram.  Marine  Measurements:  League,  nautical 
mile,  cubic  meter,  metric  ton. 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  ton,  arroba,  metric  ton.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  kilogram, 
hectoliter,  carga,  cuartillo.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram, 
quintal.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  kilogram.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Liter,  cuartillo,  gallon. 
Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  pound  (probably  libra).  Garden  Products  at  Wholesale: 
Kilogram,  quintal.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Pound  (probably  libra),  kilogram. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilogram,  kilometer,  metric 
ton,  cubic  meter,  mile,  ton.  Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Kilogram,  kilometer,  carga. 
Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Carga,  arroba,  kilogram, 
kilometer.  “The  old  weight  (1  carga  = 300  libras)  still  holds  its  own  when  dealing  with  muleback 
transportation.”  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Kilometer,  centimeter,  foot,  inch. 
Railway  Equipment  (units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  coaches,  etc.):  Foot, 
inch,  metric  kilogram  (sic).  “As  in  U.  S.”  “All  transportation  here  is  done  by  boat  on  a long- 
ton  basis.” 


24 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


“In  many  cases  the  Spanish  weights  are  used.”  “ In  many  cases  the  libra  and  vara  are  used.’ ’ 

According  to  the  Report  to  the  International  High  Commission  of  the  Metric  System  in 
Export  Trade  prepared  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Standards,  the  metric  system  is  “obliga- 
tory” in  Mexico. 

Mexico  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1862. 

NICARAGUA 

(Summary  of  three  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Libra,  kilogram.  Milk:  Liter,  gallon,  botella  (1/5  gallon).  Butter  and  Cheese: 
Libra,  arroba.  Other  Farm  Products:  Libra,  quintal,  fanega.  Hardware:  Libra,  kilogram.  Fish: 
Libra.  Meat:  Libra.  Flour:  Libra,  kilogram.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra,  quintal. 

Dry  Goods:  Yara,  yard,  meter. 

Fuel:  Libra,  corcada,  marco,  cordal,  cuartillo.  , 

Tobacco:  Libra. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch,  centimeter.  Hats:  “English  and  metric  system.”  Collars: 
“English  and  metric  system.”  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  “English  and  metric  system.”  Shoes: 
Centimeter.  Gloves:  “The  measure  of  the  country  of  origin.”  Corsets:  “The  measure  of  the 
country  of  origin.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Manzana,  hectare,  vara,  meter.  In 
the  smaller  towns:  Manzana,  hectare,  vara,  meter.  In  cities:  Manzana,  vara,  cuadra,  meter. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Vara,  pulgada. 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Vara,  pulgada,  tonelada  (sic).  By  Stone  and  Brick 
Masons:  Vara,  pulgada,  tonelada  (sic).  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Vara,  centimeter,  yard, 
meter. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Inch,  centimeter,  vara. 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Vara.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining  Products:  “English 
system,”  tonelada.  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  “English  system.”  Sizes  of  Pipe  for 
Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch,  pulgada. 

Grain  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  fanega.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Arroba,  libra,  kilogram.  Root  Crops 
at  Wholesale:  Quintal.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  quintal.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  “Cantaro,  of 
about  5 gallons.”  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Libra,  kilogram.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Libra, 
quintal. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilogram,  kilometer.  Loads 
and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Kilogram.  Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback 
Across  the  Mountains:  Libra.  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Gage,  foot,  inch;  length, 
kilometer.  Railway  Equipment  (units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars, 
etc.):  “All  American.” 

“The  metric  system  of  weights  and  measures  is  the  official  and  lawful  system  of  the  Republic, 
but  owing  to  the  preponderance  of  trade  with  the  United  States,  the  influences  of  the  system  obtain- 
ing there  are  felt  in  all  commercial  transactions.”  “The  introduction  of  all  imports  is,  however, 
based  on  the  kilo,  but  throughout  the  Republic  articles  are  retailed  by  the  libra.  Liquids  when 
imported  are  measured  by  the  liter,  yet  the  American  gallon  or  quart  is  commonly  known.  Dis- 
tances are  computed  in  kilometers,  but  the  yard  of  36  inches  is  used  almost  as  much  as  the  vara  of 
33  inches  or  the  meter  of  39.37  inches.  So  it  might  be  said  that  the  English  system  is  almost  as 
common  as  the  metric.” 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  I,  published  by  the  Department  in  1909,  contains  the  following:  The  24-inch 
manta  retails  at  40  centavos  a vara.  The  turkey-red  shirting  is  mainly  from  England,  retailing  at 
80  centavos  a vara.  The  usual  price  of  a 24-inch  print  is  60  centavos  a vara.” 

According  to  the  Report  to  the  International  High  Commission  on  the  Metric  System  in 
Export  Trade  prepared  by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  Standards,  the  metric  system  is  “obliga- 
tory” in  Nicaragua. 

Nicaragua  is  one  of  the  thirty-four  countries  which,  according  to  the  American  Metric  Associa- 
tion, have  “adopted”  the  metric  system. 


PANAMA 

(Summary  of  five  returned  questionnaires.  In  view  of  the  quotation  below,  libra  has  been 
uniformly  interpreted  as  pound) 

Groceries:  Pound,  ounce.  Fruits:  Pound,  ounce.  Milk:  Quart,  botella.  Butter  and 
Cheese:  Pound,  ounce.  Other  Farm  Products:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Hardware:  Pound, 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


25 


English  quintal.  Fish:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Meat:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Flour:  Pound 
English  quintal,  “barrel  of  196  pounds.”  Tea  and  Coffee:  Pound,  ounce,  English  quintal. 

Dry  Goods:  Yard,  vara.  Fuel:  Long  ton,  short  ton,  English  quintal,  cord. 

Tobacco:  Pound,  ounce,  English  quintal. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Hats:  Collars:  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Shoes:  Gloves:  Corsets:  Inch> 
metric.  “The  articles  mentioned  are  imported  almost  exclusively  from  the  United  States  and  the 
measures  are  the  same  as  in  that  country.”  “A  few  French  articles  are  metric  sizes.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Hectare,  square  meter.  In  the 
smaller  towns:  Hectare,  square  meter.  In  cities:  Square  meter. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Inch,  foot,  square  and  cubic  foot. 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Inch,  “some  centimeters.”  By  Stone  and  Brick 
Masons:  Inch,  centimeter,  “American  generally.”  By  Tailors  and  Dressmakers:  Yard,  inch, 
centimeter,  “American  generally.” 

In  Machine  Shops:  Inch,  centimeter,  pound,  English  quintal. 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter,  yard.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water, 
Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch. 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Inch,  centimeter.  Marine  Measurement:  Short  ton,  ton  of  40 
cu.  ft.,  marine  mile. 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Pound.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Meat  at  Wholesale: 
Pound,  English  quintal.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Pound.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English 
quintal.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Quart,  botella,  gallon.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Pound. 
Garden  Products  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  English  quintal.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Pound. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Mile,  pound,  cubic  foot. 
Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Pound.  Railway  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Inch, 
mile.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.): 
Inch. 

“The  Spanish  units  are  never  used  here  and  while  the  metric  system  is  the  official  standard 
for  the  country,  with  the  exception  of  lands,  it  is  seldom  used  in  Panama,  American  (English) 
standards  of  weight  and  measure  being  in  universal  use.” 

Panama  “ adopted  ” the  metric  system  in  1857. 

PERU 

(Summary  of  seven  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Kilogram.  Milk:  Liter,  botella  of  0.75  liter.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra,  kilogram. 
Other  Farm  Products:  Libra,  kilogram.  Hardware:  Libra,  pie.  Fish:  Kilogram,  libra.  Meat: 
Kilogram,  libra.  Flour:  Kilogram,  libra.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Kilogram,  libra. 

Dry  Goods:  Meter,  vara. 

Fuel:  Kilogram,  quintal,  libra. 

Tobacco:  Kilogram.  (Government  monopoly.) 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Centimeter.  Hats:  Centimeter,  “English  numbers.”  Collars:  Cen- 
timeter. Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Centimeter,  “Special  measure.”  Shoes:  Centimeter,  “Special 
measure.”  Gloves:  Centimeter,  “Special  measure.”  Corsets:  Centimeter. 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Fanegada,  topo,  cuadra,  square  vara; 
“ Sale  and  registry  by  the  fanegada.”  In  the  smaller  towns:  Square  meter,  fanegada,  topo,  cuadra; 
“Sale  and  registry  by  the  fanegada.”  In  cities:  Square  meter,  square  vara,  fanegada.  “Sale  and 
registry  by  the  fanegada.” 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Foot,  inch,  square  foot;  “Spanish  foot  for  cedar.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Foot,  inch,  square  foot,  meter,  “English  system.” 
By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Meter,  square  meter,  arroba.  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Centi- 
meter, meter,  yard. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Meter,  inch,  foot,  quintal.  “English  system  chiefly.  A few  jobs  for 
European-built  machinery  are  handled  on  the  metric  system.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining  Products: 
Tonelada,  metric  ton,  cubic  meter,  gallon  of  3 3/4  liters  for  petroleum  products.  “Marco,  a weight 
per  cajon  of  12,000  marcos.  Troy  ounces  per  ton.  Grams  per  metric  ton.”  “Spanish,  English 
and  metric.  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  Kilogram,  libra,  foot.  “The  same  as  mining.” 
Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Meter,  foot,  inch,  “ Generally  English  feet  and  inches  and 
their  fractions.” 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Meter,  foot,  inch,  kilogram,  registered  ton.  “Generally  the 
English  measures.”  Marine  Measurements:  Mile,  ton,  cubic  meter,  knot,  braza  (fathom  of  6 
English  feet),  metric  ton.  “Generally  the  English  measures.” 


26 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


Hay  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  metric  quintal.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  fanega,  metric 
quintal.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  metric  quintal,  libra.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Quintal, 
metric  quintal,  libra.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  libra.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Liter.  Butter  and 
Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Quintal,  kilogram,  libra.  Garden  Products  at  Wholesale:  Arroba.  Rubber  at 
Wholesale:  Tonelada,  kilogram,  quintal. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilometer,  quintal,  metric 
ton,  cubic  meter.  Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Metric  ton,  kilogram.  Loads  and 
Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Quintal,  per  kilometer.  Railway 
Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Meter,  kilometer.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the  con- 
struction and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.)'  Meter,  foot,  inch,  tonelada,  kilogram. 

“At  the  present  time  there  are  many  who  buy  and  sell,  using  other  measures  which  are  not 
metric  decimal.”  “The  metric  system  is  the  legal  system  in  Peru  but  the  other  measures  named 
have  not  yet  been  banished.” 

Commerce  Reports  for  April  29,  1918,  contains  a report  from  Commercial  Attach.6  W.  F. 
Montavon,  of  Lima,  in  which  are  given  particulars  of  new  Peruvian  exports  duties.  The  new 
rates  provide  for  a duty  on  copper  bars  per  short  ton,  and  on  sugar,  cotton  and  wool  per  Spanish 
quintal.  Italicized  words  are  verbatim  from  the  report. 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  IV,  published  by  the  Department  in  1911,  contains  the  following:  “The  Peruvian 
importers  buy  cotton  goods  by  the  yard,  the  meter,  or  the  vara.  . . . Although  the  country  has 
officially  adopted  the  metric  system,  cloth  is  always  retailed  by  the  vara.” 

Peru  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1862. 


PORTO  RICO 

In  1913,  Mr.  F.  S.  Holbrook,  Associate  Physicist  at  the  Bureau  of  Standards,  went  to  Porto 
Rico  as  the  representative  of  the  Bureau  to  cooperate  with  the  local  legislature  in  connection  with 
weights  and  measures  legislation.  Mr.  Holbrook’s  report  of  his  investigations  contains  the  fol- 
lowing: “This,  then,  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  the  work  was  commenced:  The  kilogram, 
the  United  States  pound  and  the  Spanish  libra  or  pound  for  weight;  the  liter,  the  quart,  the  cuar- 
tillo  for  liquid  measure;  the  meter,  the  yard  and  the  vara  for  length  measure;  the  hectare,  the 
acre  and  cuerda  for  land  measure,  were  all  in  use  side  by  side.  A little  over  50  per  cent  of  the 
weights  found  in  use  were  of  the  Spanish  system,  the  remainder  being  about  equally  divided  be- 
tween weights  of  the  metric  system  and  of  our  customary  system.  Of  the  liquid  measures  tested, 
the  very  great  majority  were  cuartillos  or  subdivisions  thereof,” 

As  the  outgrowth  of  Mr.  Holbrook’s  visit  to  Porto  Rico  the  weights  and  measures  of  the 
United  States,  with  the  exception  of  the  bushel  and  its  subdivisions,  were  placed  “upon  an  equal 
basis  ” with  the  metric  units,  the  result  being  shown  in  the  following  reply  to  a questionnaire  sent 
out  by  Mr.  Henry  R.  Towne. 

Legal  Standards:  Metric,  U.  S.,  and  a few  Spanish. 

Common  Standards:  Metric,  U.  S.,  and  some  Spanish. 

Railroad  Distances:  Kilometers. 

Weights:  Generally  pounds,  but  also  kilos. 

Volume:  Liter,  Spanish  quart,  but  generally  U.  S.  quart. 

Land:  Spanish  cuerda  and  metric  hectare,  the  latter  in  deeds. 

Cubic  Meter:  Used  in  public  contracts. 

Commercial  Use:  Commercial  transactions  on  U.  S.  basis;  Government  transactions  on 
metric  basis. 

Domestic  Use:  U.  S.  standards  in  common  use  and  are  legal.  Metric  catalogs  of  no  use. 

Measuring  Implements:  Both  U.  S.  and  metric  in  common  use. 

Dual  Standards:  Old  Spanish  measures  generally  displaced  by  U.  S.  measures,  except  the 
“cuerda”  for  land  records.  Metric  system  also  legal;  chiefly  used  in  Government  transactions. 

Adoption  of  Metric  System:  By  Spanish  Government  in  early  90’s.  By  local  legislature  in 
1898.  U.  S.  Standards  also  legalized  since  latter  date. 

Bookkeeping,  Invoicing,  Etc.:  U.  S.  Standards  used  almost  exclusively. 

The  William  J.  Dines,  Jr.,  Co.  write:  “I  have  been  with  engineers  and  workmen  in  all  parts 
of  the  Island,  and  very  seldom  find  anyone  using  anything  but  the  American  standard.” 

The  report  of  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Com- 
merce and  Labor,  Part  IV,  published  by  the  Department  in  1911,  contains  the  following:  “In 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


27 


San  Juan  most  goods  are  retailed  by  the  yard  as  the  people  there  demand  this  length,  but  in  the 
remainder  of  the  island  the  usual  measure  is  the  Spanish  vara  of  83.6  centimeters.” 

All  of  the  above  should  be  compared  with  the  statement  by  Mr.  Fred  R.  Drake  as  quoted  in 
the  preamble. 

SAN  SALVADOR 

(Summary  of  one  returned  questionnaire) 

Groceries:  Almud.  Milk:  Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra.  Other  Farm  Products:  Libra. 
Hardware:  Pound,  quintal.  Fish:  Libra.  Meat:  Libra.  Flour:  Bulto.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra. 

Dry  Goods:  Vara. 

Fuel:  Carga. 

Collars:  English  numbers. 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts;  Manzana,  caballeria.  In  the  smaller 
towns:  Vara,  “with  metric  measures  always  used  in  the  documents.”  In  cities:  Meter  and  milli- 
meter (sic). 

By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Vara,  pie,  pulgada.  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Vara,  meter, 
millimeter. 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers, 
Etc.:  Inch. 

Grain  at  Wholesale:  Fanega,  arroba.  Meat  at  Wholesale:  Libra.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Quin- 
tal. Milk  at  Wholesale:  Botella.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Libra. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  F eight  (Load  and  Distance):  Cubic  foot,  quintal,  kilo- 
meter. Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Quintal.  Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by 
Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Arroba. 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  I,  published  by  the  Department  in  1909,  contains  the  following:  “Practically  all 
exported  yarn  is  put  up  in  either  five-  or  ten-pound  paper-covered  packets  and  either  eighty  or 
forty  of  these  packed  to  the  bale.  Yarn  is  retailed  here  in  ten-pound  lots,  but  two  five-pound 
packets  are  preferred  to  one  ten-pound.  . . . These  splits  are  20  to  26  inches  wide,  and  retail  at 
a real  a vara.” 

SPANISH  HONDURAS 

(Summary  of  three  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Pound,  arroba.  Fruits:  Pound.  Milk:  Liter,  bottella,  pint.  Butter  and 
Cheese : Libra,  pound.  Other  Farm  Products:  Pound.  Hardware:  Pound.  Fish:  Libra,  pound. 
Meat:  Libra,  pound.  Flour:  Libra,  pound.  Tea  and  Coffee:  Libra,  pound. 

Dry  Goods:  Vara,  yard. 

Fuel:  Carga,  pound,  cuerda. 

Tobacco:  Libra,  pound. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch,  “Same  as  in  United  States.”  Hats:  “American  and  French 
sizes.”  Collars:  “American  and  French  sizes.”  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  “American  and  French 
sizes.”  Shoes:  “American  and  French  sizes.”  Gloves:  “American  and  French  sizes.”  Corsets: 
“American  and  French  sizes.”  “General  American  sizes  of  wearing  apparel  in  use.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Caballeria,  manzana,  hectare.  In 
the  smaller  towns:  Caballeria,  manzana,  hectare,  foot.  In  cities:  Caballeria,  manzana,  hectare, 
foot.  “The  official  standard  is  the  hectare.  Deeds  in  hectares  and  others  in  manzanas  accord- 
ing to  original  measure.  In  towns  the  lots  are  measured  in  English  feet  and  are  so  registered. 
Also  large  parcels  in  the  country  measured  in  caballerias.” 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Laufenberg  rule,  “Exactly  the  same  as  American  sizes.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Foot,  inch.  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Inch, 
“American  sizes.”  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Metric,  foot. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Inch,  foot,  pound,  “American  sizes.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Foot,  inch,  “American  sizes.”  In  Mines  and  for 
Mining  Products:  Cubic  foot,  ton,  metric  ton,  “American  sizes.”  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter 
Products:  Pound,  ton,  “American  sizes.”  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  etc.:  “Generally 
American  sizes.” 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  “Same  as  in  United  States.”  Marine  Measurements:  Foot, 
‘American  sizes.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Libra.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Carga,  libra,  medida.  Meat  at  Wholesale: 
Libra,  pound.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Pound.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Carga,  libra.  Milk  at 
Wholesale:  Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  English  arroba,  libriado.  Garden  Products  at 
Wholesale:  Libra,  pound.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Pound,  libra,  quintal. 


28 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance):  Kilogram,  kilometer,  mile. 
Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Arroba,  pound.  Railway 
Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Foot,  inch,  kilometer.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the 
construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.):  “English  units  used  in  repairs.” 

“The  English  yard  is  chiefly  used  in  the  larger  and  better  stores.  The  vara  is  used  frequently 
in  smaller  stores  selling  at  retail  to  certain  classes,  but  the  people  are  accustomed  to  and  demand 
the  English  yard.”  “All  articles  not  named  above  are  valued  according  to  agreement  per  arroba 
or  carga,  always  keeping  the  English  as  the  standard.  The  arroba  is  25  pounds  and  the  carga  is  8 
arrobas  or  200  pounds.” 

The  report  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Graham  Clark,  Commercial  Agent  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  Part  I,  published  by  the  Department  in  1909,  contains  the  following:  “The  importers 
sell  to  the  retailers  by  the  yard  and  the  retailers  sell  at  practically  the  same  price  by  the  vara  . . . 
This  country  has  officially  tried  to  adopt  the  metric  system,  but  the  natives  cling  to  the  vara  and 
the  arroba  as  their  measures  of  length  and  weight.” 

Honduras  is  one  of  the  thirty-four  countries  which,  according  to  the  American  Metric  Associa- 
tion, have  “adopted”  the  metric  system. 


URUGUAY 

(Summary  of  four  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Kilogram.  Milk:  Liter.  Butter  and  Cheese:  Kilogram.  Other  Farm  Products: 
Kilogram.  Hardware:  Kilogram,  meter.  Meat:  Kilogram.  Flour:  Kilogram.  Tea  and  Coffee: 
Kilogram. 

Dry  Goods:  Meter. 

Fuel:  Metric  ton. 

Tobacco:  Kilogram. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Centimeter.  Hats.  Centimeter,  English  numbers.  Collars:  Centi- 
meter. Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Meter,  centimeter,  inch.  Gloves:  “As  in  North  America.’ 
‘‘Universal  numbering.”  Corsets:  Centimeter. 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  In  the  farming  districts:  Hectare.  “The  cuadra  is  still  com- 
monly used  but  is  prohibited  in  the  documents.”  In  the  smaller  towns:  Hectare,  square  meter* 
In  cities:  Hectare,  square  meter. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Meter,  centimeter,  foot,  inch.  “Officially  the  meter,  customarily  per 
thousand  feet.” 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Meter,  centimeter,  English  foot,  inch.  “English 
foot  and  inch  generally  used.”  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Centimeter,  kilo  (sic),  English 
measures.  By  Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Kilogram,  meter,  metric  ton. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Kilogram.  “Officially  the  meter  and  sub-multiples,  practically,  fol- 
lowing the  custom,  the  English  inch.”  “English  measures  generally.” 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Cubic  meter,  meter.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining  Prod- 
ucts: Kilogram,  cubic  meter.  In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  Kilogram,  metric  ton. 
Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  “English  measures,  but  in  official  and  public  documents 
these  are  reduced  to  centimeters.”  “Officially  the  meter,  practically  the  pulgada.” 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Metric.  Marine  Measurements:  Mile,  knot,  foot,  cable,  ton,  meter 
for  sounding,  braza,  “but  in  official  and  public  documents  only  the  decimal  measures  appear.” 
“Officially  the  kilometer;  to  a large  extent  the  marine  mile.”  “In  practice  there  is  no  effort  to 
abolish  completely  the  English  measures.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  metric  quintal.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  metric  quintal . 

Meat  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Metric  quintal.  Coffee  at  Wholesale: 
Kilogram,  metric  quintal.  Milk  at  Wholesale:  Liter,  hectoliter.  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale: 
Kilogram.  Rubber  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance) : Kilogram,  kilometer.  Rail 
way  Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Metric. 

“The  metric  system  only  has  been  used  in  Uruguay  for  at  least  fifty  years  and  any  one  who 
uses  any  other  system  runs  the  risk  of  fine  and  imprisonment.  ...  In  the  case  of  land  measure- 
ment, a few  old  Spanish  measures  are  authorized.  This  letter,  according  to  the  laws  of  Uruguay, 
must  be  copied  in  a letter-press  book.  Each  page  of  the  letter-press  book  is  signed  by  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  Commerce  Court  and  may  at  any  time  be  required  in  Court.  By  using  in  our  cor- 
respondence copied  in  the  letter-press  book  any  terms  of  weights  and  measures  not  recognized  by 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


29 


’aw,  we  run  the  risk  of  punishment.”  “The  introduction  of  the  new  system  proved,  however,  a 
difficult  and  tedious  process.” 

Uruguay  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1862. 

VENEZUELA 

(Summary  of  five  returned  questionnaires) 

Groceries:  Libra,  kilogram.  Fruits:  Kilogram,  Libra.  Milk:  “Jar  of  27  botellas,”  liter. 
Butter  and  Cheese:  Libra,  kilogram.  Other  Farm  Products:  Libra,  metric.  Hardware:  Libra, 
metric.  Fish:  Libra,  kilogram.  Meat:  Libra,  kilogram.  Flour:  Libra,  kilogram,  arroba.  Tea 
and  Coffee:  Libra,  kilogram. 

Dry  Goods:  Vara,  meter,  yard. 

Fuel:  Tonelada,  metric  ton. 

Tobacco:  Metric. 

Ready-Made  Clothing:  Inch,  centimeter.  Hats:  Centimeter,  inch.  Collars:  Centimeter* 
inch.  Underwear  and  Hosiery:  Centimeter,  inch.  Shoes:  Centimeter,  American  numbers, 
“An  arbitrary  measure  equal  to  about  3/4  of  a centimeter.”  Gloves:  French  numbers,  American 
numbers.  Corsets:  Centimeter,  inch.  “The  measures  of  the  country  from  which  the  goods  are 
imported  are  used.” 

For  the  Measurement  of  Land:  Hectare,  square  kilometer,  square  league,  sugar  land  in  bablon 
( = 0.7  hectare),  square  meter. 

Lumber  and  Timber:  Square  pie,  metric. 

By  Carpenters  and  Other  Woodworkers:  Square  pie,  metric.  “Some  carpenters  do  actually 
work  in  English  inches.”  By  Tailors  and  Seamstresses:  Centimeter,  vara,  yard,  meter.  By 
Stone  and  Brick  Masons:  Metric,  fanega. 

In  Machine  Shops:  Libra,  foot,  metric. 

In  Contracts  for  Excavation  of  Ground:  Metric.  In  Mines  and  for  Mining  Products:  Metric. 
In  Smelting  and  for  Smelter  Products:  Metric.  Sizes  of  Pipe  for  Gas,  Water,  Sewers,  Etc.:  Inch, 
metric. 

In  Ship  and  Boat  Building:  Metric,  English.  Marine  Measurements:  Metric  English.  “In 
navigation  and  geography  miles  are  used;  for  the  rest,  metric.” 

Hay  at  Wholesale:  Metric.  Grain  at  Wholesale:  Kilogram,  metric  quintal,  fanega.  Meat 
at  Wholesale:  Arroba,  metric.  Root  Crops  at  Wholesale:  Metric.  Coffee  at  Wholesale:  Metric 
quintal.  Milk,  Butter  and  Cheese  at  Wholesale:  Metric. 

Railway  Tariff  for  Passengers  and  Freight  (Load  and  Distance) : Metric  quintal,  tonelada, 
kilometer,  cubic  meter.  Loads  and  Rates  for  City  Transportation:  Metric  quintal,  kilogram. 
Loads  and  Rates  for  Transportation  by  Muleback  Across  the  Mountains:  Metric  quintal.  Railway 
Track  Gages  and  Length  of  Lines:  Meter,  kilometer.  Railway  Equipment  ( units  used  in  the  con- 
struction and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.):  “Inches  on  English  lines;  metric]  units  on 
German  railway.” 

“Not  only  is  it  illegal  to  use  any  other  weights  and  measures  [than  those  of  the  metric  sys- 
tem], but  a merchant  is  subject  to  punishment  even  for  having  them  in  his  possession.  The  im- 
portation of  weights  and  measures  other  than  the  legal  is  also  prohibited  and  as  the  authorities 
have  destroyed  the  old  ones  whereever  possible  distinct  progress  toward  the  universal  adoption  of 
the  new  system  has  been  made.  In  spite  of  the  stringency  of  the  laws  the  people  at  large,  especially 
in  the  country,  still  cling  to  the  old  units  in  their  every-day  life  and  talk  and  think  in  terms  of  them.” 

“The  people  in  the  interior  of  the  country  are  not  at  all  accustomed  to  the  metric  system 
and  always  use  the  old  system.” 

Venezuela  “adopted”  the  metric  system  in  1857. 


30 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


APPENDIX  2 

FORM  LETTER  WHICH  ACCOMPANIED  THE  QUESTIONNAIRES 

My  Dear  Sir: 

The  American  Institute  of  Weights  and  Measures,  which  is  composed  of  many  of  the  leading 
engineers  and  manufacturers  of  this  country,  is  engaged  in  an  extended  investigation  of  the  subject 
of  weights  and  measures,  and  it  desires  to  obtain  at  first  hand  definite  information  regarding  the 
units  of  weight  and  measure  (Spanish,  metric,  and  English)  as  applied  to  the  trade,  commerce  and 
industry  of  South  and  Central  America.  With  this  in  view,  the  accompanying  list  of  questions 
has  been  drawn  up  to  which  we  ask  you  to  kindly  reply  for  your  locality. 

The  thorough  character  of  the  investigation  which  this  Institute  is  undertaking  will,  we  hope  * 
impress  you  with  the  importance  of  this  questionnaire,  since,  when  all  the  replies  are  assembled, 
they  will  constitute  a mass  of  information  which  is  not  now  in  existence. 

It  is  particularly  desired  that  answers  shall  be  forthcoming  from  the  smaller  towns  of  the 
interior  as  well  as  from  the  principal  cities  of  Latin  America  AND  FROM  INDUSTRIES  AS 
WELL  AS  COMMERCE  in  order  that  the  usage  of  weights  and  measures  among  the  people 
may  be  learned.  To  this  end  we  ask  you  to  kindly  make  inquiry  among  contractors,  builders, 
manufacturers,  and,  if  necessary,  among  artisans. 

Please  distinguish  carefully,  when  necessary,  between  the  metric  and  English  tons,  between 
the  half-kilogram  and  the  Spanish  and  English  pounds,  the  Spanish  and  metric  quintals,  and  the 
Spanish  pulgada  and  the  English  inch.  When  two  or  more  units  are  used  for  the  same  purpose, 
please  name  them  in  the  order  of  their  frequency.  When  one  unit  is  chiefly  used,  please  place 
after  it  the  word  “Chiefly”  and  similarly,  when  one  of  the  units  is  used  but  seldom,  kindly  place 
after  it  the  word  “Infrequent.” 

Your  reply,  esteemed  sir,  will  place  us  under  lasting  obligations  which  we  trust  we  will  at 
some  future  time  have  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  discharging.  In  the  meantime,  we  beg  to 
subscribe  ourselves  with  every  consideration  of  respect  and  esteem, 

Most  cordially  yours, 

AMERICAN  INSTITUTE  OF  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES, 

Commissioner. 


QUESTIONNAIRE  NO.  1 


What  are  the  units  of  weight  and  measure  commonly  used  with  relation  to  the  buying  and 
selling  at  retail  of  the  following  products? 


Groceries 

Fruits 

Milk,  butter  and  cheese 

Other  farm  products 

Hardware 

Fish 

Meat 


Flour 

Tea  and  coffee 
Dry  goods 
Fuel 
Tobacco 
Miscellaneous 


QUESTIONNAIRE  NO.  2 

What  are  the  units  of  measure  commonly  used  with  relation  to  buying  and  selling  articles  of 
clothing,  as  follows? 


Ready-made  clothing 

Hats 

Collars 

Underwear  and  hosiery 


Shoes 

Gloves 

Corsets 

Miscellaneous 


QUESTIONNAIRE  NO.  3 

What  are  the  units  of  measure  commonly  used  with  relation  to  the  sale  of  lands  and  filing  of 
papers  and  deeds,  as  follows? 

In  the  farming  districts 
In  the  smaller  towns 
In  the  cities 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


31 


QUESTIONNAIRE  NO.  4 

What  are  the  units  of  weight  and  measure  commonly  used  in  the  following  industries  ? 
Lumber  and  timber  (length  and  thickness  of  boards  and  sizes  of  timbers) 

By  carpenters  and  other  woodworkers 
By  tailors  and  seamstresses 
By  blacksmiths 
In  machine  shops 

In  contracts  for  excavation  of  ground 
In  mines  and  for  mineral  products 
In  smelting  and  for  smelter  products 
Sizes  of  pipes  for  gas,  water,  sewers,  etc. 

In  ship  and  boat  building 

Marine  measurements  (distances,  maps,  charts,  tonnage,  drafts,  freight  rates,  etc.) 
o us . 


QUESTIONNAIRE  NO.  5 

What  are  the  units  of  weight  and  measure  commonly  used  with  relation  to  the  buying  and 
selling  of  farm  products  at  wholesale,  as  follows? 

Hay  Milk,  butter  and  cheese 

Grain  Garden  products 

Meat  Rubber 

Root  crops  Miscellaneous 

Coffee 

QUESTIONNAIRE  NO.  6 

What  are  the  units  of  weight  and  measure  commonly  used  with  relation  to  transportation 
tariffs? 

Railway  tariff  for  passengers  and  freight  (load  and  distance) 

Loads  and  rates  for  city  transportation 

Loads  and  rates  for  transportation  by  muleback  across  the  mountains 
Railway  track  gages  and  length  of  lines 

Railway  equipment  (units  used  in  the  construction  and  repairing  of  locomotives,  cars,  etc.) 

The  Hill  Publishing  Company’s  questionnaire  was  considerably  abbreviated  from  the  above. 


LISTS  OF  FIRMS  AND  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  HAVE  SUPPLIED  THE  RE- 
TURNED QUESTIONNAIRES 


ARGENTINA 

National  City  Bank  Branch 

E.  Resentry  (?) 

D.  Meyer  & Cia 

Ramose  Abilla 

Santiago  Egli 

Donald  Campbell 

W.  Sidwell 

Allan  B.  Lea 

Ensor  H.  Blanchard 

Minister  of  Agriculture  

Louis  Dannerald 


Buenos  Aires 
, Rosario 
, Bahia  Blanca 
, Vircuman 
Mendoza 

. E.  Carbo  Entre  Rios 
. Posadas 
, Buenos  Aires 
San  Isidro 

. Mendoza 


BRAZIL 


Pramca  y Martines Sao  Paulo 

A.  Haas B.  Huyinte 

Ohliger  & Co Manaos 

Banco  do  Natal Natal 

David  Cameiro  & Co Coritiba 

Banco  Hsp.  e Agricola Bello  Horizonte 

Fas  Scrapa  & Fichos 

Tancredo  Porte  & Co Manaos 


32 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


M.  F.  Do  Monte  & Co Mossoro 

National  City  Bank  Branch Santos 

Banco  Commercio  de  P A Rio  Grande 

Salgado  Rogers  & Co Ceara 

Berringer  & Co Para 

Companhia  Mogyana Campinas 

Bernardo  A de  F Hermanos Goyas 

Luiz  Baptista  Jr Sao  Paulo 

Jose  Henrioues  Duarte Sao  Paulo 

Armando  Annes  & Co Passo  Fundo 

J.  B.  Stewart,  American  Vice-Consul Pernambuco 

Director  of  the  Estrada  de  Ferro  Central  de  Brazil 

Montesth  & Co Pernambuco 

Theodore  Sampaio Bahia 

Dr.  Francisco  Texeira  de  Silva  Tilles Santos 

American  Consulate Para 

J.  P.  Ferras Sao  Paulo 

Luiz  Barretto  Filho Sao  Paulo 

C.  F.  Deichman,  American  Consul Santos 

Geo.  H.  Pickenell,  American  Consul Para 

Edward  Higgins,  American  Consul Bahia 

Alfred  L.  Moreau  Gottschalk,  Consul  General Rio  de  Janeiro 

L.  O.  Munch Porto  Alegre 

Chas.  L.  Hoover,  American  Consul Sao  Paulo 

F.  I.  Riberirs  de  Castro Rio  de  Janeiro 

Miguel  Presgrave Santos 

Manoel  Carneiro  de  Sanza  Bandeira Rio  de  Janeiro 

Undecipherable Florianopolis 

Praencar  Mathus Sao  Paulo 


CHILE 


Banco  Espanol  de  Chile Antofagasta 

Banco  Espanol  de  Chile Iquique 

Banco  Espanol  de  Chile Valdivia 

Y.  E.  S Cordoba 


John  Sterett  Gittings,  Jr.,  Commercial  Dept.,  Valparaiso  Branch  of 


the  National  City  Bank Valparaiso 

W.  R.  Grace  & Co Punta  Arenas 

The  Coquimbo  Agencies  Co Coquimbo 

John  R.  Bradley,  American  Consul Punta  Arenas 

Alberto  Fait  & Co Punta  Arenas 

Mark  R.  Lamb Santiago 


COLOMBIA 

SOCIEDAD  DE  AGRICULTURES  DE  COLOMBIA Bogota 

Camara  de  Comercio  de  Bogota Bogota 

United  Fruit  Co.,  Chas.  W.  Sinners,  Mgr Santa  Marta 

O.  E.  Guyant,  American  Consul Barranquilla 

United  Fruit  Co.,  Ahanino  Klacio,  Agent Barranquilla 

COSTA  RICA 

C.  P.  Cullen Limon 

Benjamin  F.  Chase,  American  Consul San  Jose 

Salv.  Cerda San  Jose 


CUBA 


United  Fruit  Co Preston 

Geo.  B.  Starbuck,  American  Vice-Consul Cienfuegos 

Liborio  Alvira Cienfuegos 


FREDERICK  A.  HALSEY 


33 


ECUADOR 

J.  G.  White  & Co Guayaquil 

J.  A.  Cleveland Guayaquil 

F.  W.  Goding,  American  Consul  General Guayaquil 

The  Guayaquil  Agencies  Co Guayaquil 

Banco  del  Ecuador Guayaquil 

Louis  A.  Plaza Guayaquil 

GUATEMALA 

Leon  Guttman  & Co Guatemala  City 

Rodrigo  M alina Guatemala  City 

Antonio  Tejeda  A. . . Barberena 

C.  M.  Shaw,  Division  Manager,  United  Fruit  Co Puerto  Barrios 

Topke  & Co Guatemala  City 

MEXICO 

Norton  F.  Brand,  American  Consul Salina  Cruz 

W.  W.  Graham,  British  Vice-Consul Durango 

Stephen  E.  Aguirro,  American  Consul Ciudad  Juarez 

G.  K.  Donald,  American  Consul Aguascalientes 

Walter  H.  Sholes,  American  Consul Nuevo  Laredo 

Francis  R.  Stewart,  American  Consul Vera  Cruz 

Andres  Gomez  y Orejan  Vera  Cruz 

Gaylord  Marsh,  American  Consul Yucatan 

W.  E.  Chapman,  American  Consul Sinaloa 

American  Consulate Frontera,  Tabasco 

NICARAGUA 

Andrew  J.  McConnico,  American  Consul Corinto 

Max  Sacora Rivas 

Ignacio  Cardoze Masaya 

PANAMA 

A.  G.  Snyder,  American  Consul  General Panama 

Arosemena  Hermanos Panama 

J.  M.  Kyes Bocas  del  Toro 

American  Trade  Developing  Co Panama 

G.  A.  Alvarado,  Municipal  Weights  and  Measures  Dept Panama 

PERU 

D.  Dasso Callao 

Carlos  Basadre  y G Lima 

Emilioran  Oordt Lima 

Arequipa  Agencies  Co Arequipa 

Piura  Agencies  Co Piura 

W.  R.  Grace  & Co Lima 

The  Salaverry  Agencies  Co Salaverry 

PORTO  RICO 

Finley,  Weymouth  & Lee,  Inc San  Juan 

SAN  SALVADOR 

Fernando  Sagren San  Salvador 

SPANISH  HONDURAS 

Francis  J.  Dyer,  American  Consul Tegucigalpa 

Chas.  N.  Willard,  American  Consul Ceiba 

Lahi  Culotta Puerto  Cortez 


34 


WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  LATIN  AMERICA 


URUGUAY 

National  City  Bank  Branch Montevideo 

C.  Perez  Monteio  y Ca Montevideo 

Reyuser  y Taulmnat Montevideo 

William  Dawson,  American  Consul Montevideo 

VENEZUELA 

Banco  Commercial  de  Barranquilla Barranquilla 

Karl  Blashitz Caracas 

Homer  Brett,  American  Consul LaGuaira 

Frank  Anderson  Henry,  American  Consul Puerto  Cabello 

Emil  Sauer,  American  Consul Maracaibo 


■arcai/m 


